


Violent Delights (Fred Weasley)

by fredswhorecrux5



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, Original Character(s), Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Ravenclaw, Romance, Slow Burn, Slytherin, Smut, The Golden Trio
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 20:47:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30044505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredswhorecrux5/pseuds/fredswhorecrux5
Summary: “These violent delights have violent ends."His hand found her waist, and that was when Veronica noticed how quiet he'd become. Her breath hitched and her stomach dropped. She looked into his eyes, which had darkened. Fred has the ghost of a smirk on his lips that made it hard for her to think straight.But what she didn't realize was that Fred was finding it hard to think straight around her too. The only thing that he could think of was how pretty she was.Veronica brought her hand down, completely forgetting the PDC and getting lost in his eyes. Fred couldn't help but bring his hand up to her hair and brush it away from her face. In that moment, he realized how much he had missed her being around. All summer he'd felt like something was missing, and he didn't know it was her until now.The two young wizards were intoxicated by each other in that moment. Something awakened in the two of them that night.As Veronica brought her hands to rest on his arms, Fred finally spoke."When did you get so pretty, Vee?" He rested his forehead on hers.orIn which Veronica finds herself in love with her casual lover, but only realizes it when he becomes unavailable.
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

cast + info

TAYLOR RUSSELL  
AS  
VERONICA VANDENBERG

JAMES PHELPS  
AS  
FRED WEASLEY

MAIA MITCHELL  
AS  
KATIE BELL

EMMA WATSON  
AS  
HERMIONE GRANGER

JESSIE CAVE  
AS  
LAVENDER BROWN

LAURA HARRIER  
AS  
VIVIENNE VANDENBERG 

LIZA SOBERANO  
AS  
IVY PARKINSON

in which veronica finds herself in love with her casual lover, but only realizes it once he becomes unavailable. 

info:  
-veronica, golden trio, lavender, ivy, and everyone else in their year are only one year behind the twins, katie, vivienne, etc.

-book contains mentions of sex, infidelity, HEAVY drug use, and drinking. 

-also contains triggering themes. note that all chapters containing those themes will have a warning beforehand. 

-story takes place from hbp on (excluding prelude chapters).

-follows the original plot very loosely, meaning there is not as much emphasis on voldemort, death eaters, etc.


	2. prélude une

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s September of 1991. Veronica Vandenberg is embarking on her journey through the beloved Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During her first week, she meets a peculiar new friend.

Veronica gripped her father's hand as her family made their way through the crowded platform. 

It was the first of September, the day that Hogwarts was due to come back for the new term. Veronica Vandenberg was starting her first year at the school and was anything but eager to start her education. 

The girl had never been away from her parents. In eleven years of life, there was not a day that she hadn't been at her parent's side. She knew when she got the familiar letter that it meant she would go from seeing them every day to only seeing them after being away for months. 

Though her father was the Broom professor at the school and her two older siblings also would be in attendance, that knowledge did nothing to curb her anxiety. She knew that despite a few familiar faces, she would ultimately be around people that she'd never met, which unsettled her very much. She knew her best bet at even seeing her siblings at all would be getting sorted into Ravenclaw.

You see, Vandenberg's were Ravenclaw's. Always were and always would be. Her mother, Vera, and her father, Vaughn, were two young Ravenclaw's when they fell in love. Veronica wanted nothing more than to follow in her family's footsteps.

As they approached the entrance to the train, Veronica felt her stomach knot up. She stopped walking, causing her father to look down at her. Vaughn looked at his daughter and saw how flushed her face was and how wide her eyes were. The sight of the nervous girl tickled him almost. "You all go ahead, I'd like a moment with Veronica." He said. 

Vera nodded, having already known of her daughter's apprehensiveness. "Come on, my loves! On the express, you go!" She guided Vivienne and Vance towards the train, leaving the youngest Vandenberg with her father. 

Vaughn bent down to Veronica's level, "Roni, dear..." He placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders. 

"Daddy, I don't... I don't want to go." The young girl looked at her father with tears in her eyes. 

Vaughn sighed, "Do you remember how I told you that there are things in this world that you must do? Well, this is one of those things." He explained. 

"What about Mum? What will she do while we're all away? She'll be so lonely." Veronica asked.

"You're mother has plenty of things to occupy herself with." Vaughn chuckled.

"What if I do not make any friends?" She asked next. 

Vaughn raised his brows at his young daughter. "Darling, you're a Vandenberg. Making friends will be as easy as breathing for you." He said confidently.

"Vaughn?" A masculine voice called from behind them. "Vaugh Vandenberg! Is that you?" They called, grabbing the attention of the hunched man. 

Vaugh turned at the sound of his name, his brows furrowed together. Veronica looked up and saw a man running towards them with an excited look. The man was wearing a rather funny-looking outfit that consisted of a brown corduroy suit, a purple vest with pink polka-dots, and green shoes. His hair was a curly mess that was flying everywhere as he ran. And holding his hand was a little girl who looked just as quirky as him. 

Vaugh smiled, "Felix Brown! My God, it's been ages!" He ran at the man and hugged him. 

"Yes! I haven't seen you since our days on the front lines of the war!" Felix patted Vaughn's back. 

"Are you dropping someone off at the express? Where's Twyla?" Vaughn asked.

Felix sighed, "Ah, Twyla's caught a bug so I'm dropping my Lavender off for her first year." He looked down at the little girl holding his hand. 

Veronica glimpsed at the girl next to him. The girl hid behind her father and nervously looked back at Veronica. Both girls were equally nervous and unenthusiastic about their impending endeavor. 

"First-year? Well, that's quite lucky! Veronica will be starting her first year as well." Vaughn brought his daughter forward. 

"Brilliant! See, Lavey, I told you that you'd have no trouble finding friends!" Felix rubbed the top of Lavender's head. 

Veronica saw the girl peek from behind her father at her before she fully revealed herself. The girl and her father seemed to be wearing matching outfits. Only hers consisted of a tulle skirt and striped sweater instead of a suit, and purple stockings with pink polka dots instead of a tie. She also was holding a doll whose hair was knotted and had lipstick messily drawn on its lips. 

"Lavey, go on and introduce yourself!" Felix motioned towards Veronica. 

The curly blonde reached her hand out to Veronica. Veronica looked down and noticed how her hand was a little sticky with what looked like goo from some candy she must have eaten earlier. Her fingernails also had red polish messily painted on them with glitter topping them off. 

"I'm Lavender." The girl smiled excitedly

Veronica swallowed as she looked at Lavender's sticky hand, not wanting to shake it. She looked to her father and he nodded for her to go ahead. So, Veronica turned back around and looked at Lavender with a smile. "Veronica, but you can call me Roni if we're going to be friends." She said to the girl. 

"Wow!" Lavender gaped in astonishment. "Daddy, she's got such a nice name!" She looked at her dad. 

"I know!" Felix chuckled. 

Vaughn smiled, "Well, you two girls just stick together and I think all will go swell." He pinched Veronica's cheek. 

The warning horn of the train sounds off. Veronica looked up at her father and he smiled down at her. "Alright, Ladies. I think that's your cue." 

Veronica gave her father a terrified look as they made their way towards the train. "Dad." She said nervously. "Dad." 

Vaughn sighed and lifted Veronica onto the platform. Felix lifted Lavender onto the platform as well. The two girls stood side by side, leaning over the railing as they stared down at their father's. 

"You'll both do great things at Hogwarts, I know you will. Neither of you has anything to be afraid of because you'll be just fine." Vaughn put his hands on both of their shoulders. 

"Here," Felix started and put Lavender's hand in Veronica's, "hold hands." He smiled. 

Veronica looked at Lavender and Lavender smiled at her. She suddenly felt a little better with Lavender at her side. Suddenly, Hogwarts didn't seem so scary as long as she had a friend there to rely on. 

~

When Felix Brown placed his daughter's hand in Veronica's, the two girls didn't break hands the whole day. They decided that if they were going to survive Hogwarts, it was best that they stick together. 

"I don't know what house I'll be in. I wouldn't mind any of them—well, except Slytherin." Lavender mused. 

They now stood in the Great Hall with the rest of the first years, who were all eagerly awaiting their house assignments. Their graduating class seemed rather large. They could barely fit in the aisle, and Veronica wondered how they would have room for them at the tables. 

"I know I'll be Ravenclaw. All Vandenberg's are Ravenclaws." Veronica responded confidently. 

"Really?" Lavender asked. 

Veronica nodded, "Yep, dating back to the first wizard in our family." She explained proudly. 

Each student went up as their name was called. Veronica noticed that there were quite a bit of students being sorted into Hufflepuff, Gryffindor being a close second. But she didn't care where everyone else went, except Lavender obviously, she just cared that she be sorted into Ravenclaw with Vincent and Vivienne. 

"Brown, Lavender." Professor McGonagall announced next. 

Lavender gasped at the sound of her name. Veronica gave her an excited look before giving her hand a final squeeze. "Go on, it's your turn." She said to her. 

Lavender nervously looked towards Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall nodded for the eccentric girl to go ahead and take a seat under the hat. So, Lavender skipped to the chair, and gracefully sat down. 

"Another witch from the old Brown clan! Your caring heart and loyal spirit make me feel a pull towards Hufflepuff, but your relentless drive and passion are giving me a sense of a Gryffindor." The hat pontificated out loud. 

As the hat decided where to put Lavender, Veronica noted how there weren't many other children left to be called. She wondered why her name was one of the final ones on the list. 

"A great mind is there, despite popular belief, but I think you'll fair best in... GRYFFINDOR!" 

Lavender squealed as she jumped down from the chair. Veronica was happy that she was so excited, but she also knew that it meant that she and Lavender wouldn't be seeing each other as much as she thought.

A boy named Draco Malfoy went up. She'd heard of his father from her father and mother. While her father was generous in his opinion of Lucius Malfoy, her mother often spoke of how he should be locked away in Azkaban. The Malfoy boy, to no surprise of anyone, was sorted into Slytherin. He sashayed towards his fellow housemates and then happily took a seat. 

Next was the year's star: Harry Potter. 

Veronica had heard the stories about him. And though she found him fascinating, she didn't want to overcrowd him as everyone else would. In all honesty, Veronica hadn't pegged him enough to discern where he'd be sorted. She could see him in any of the houses. But for some reason, she thought he'd make a good Slytherin. 

Harry sat under the hat, a nervous look on his face. Veronica looked behind her as she heard the hushed whispers of the Hall. Everyone was just so buzzed to see The Boy Who Lived sitting right before them. And Veronica had to admit that she was a little star-struck as well (but no as much as Lavender, who was practically jumping up and down on the train). 

"Not Slytherin, eh?" The sorting hat announced. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well, if you're sure—better be GRYFFINDOR!" 

The Gryffindor table erupted in chanting and screaming, all the lions and lionesses proud to call the famous Harry Potter one of their own. Harry seemed to be happy about the decision as well. You could tell by the giant grin on his face that he was more than welcoming to the idea of being a Gryffindor. However, Veronica had to agree with the sorting hat that Harry would have done well in Slytherin. 

"Vandenberg, Veronica." 

Veronica heard someone cheer from across the hall. Her head darted in the direction of the cheer. She saw her older brother Vance standing up, clapping his hands together. Veronica's cheeks turned bright red as she heard everyone at the nearby Slytherin table chuckle. Vivienne, her sister, harshly pulled him back down into his seat.

Veronica breathed in as she stepped towards the chair. Professor McGonagall gave her a small smile and Veronica smiled back. 

"Veronica Vandenberg, she says. I'll bet you're thinking that there's no doubt you'll be a Ravenclaw. And you'd be justified in your thinking, of course. There's no doubt you have a bright and creative mind and a keen wit about you. Not to mention that you do come from a long line of great Ravenclaws. Wisdom, cleverness, and independence are all there in you." The hat said, much to the pleasure of the youngest Vandenberg. 

Veronica smiled to herself. She knew the sorting hat was just putting on a show as it did with everyone else. 

"But," The hat continued.

But? Veronica thought. 

"There's a fire in you, a fire that seeks to burn in the brightest blaze. A fire that is fueled by nerve, strength, bravery, and valiancy. A fire that can only burn in... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat exclaimed. 

The Gryffindor's cheered loudly and they all welcomed her to their table. But Veronica's reaction was anything but similar. 

She was not a Gryffindor.

Vandenberg's were Ravenclaws. 

Not Hufflepuff, not Slytherin, and certainly not Gryffindor. 

Gryffindors were irresponsible, hot-headed. Veronica was neither. She was the textbook definition of Ravenclaw. How could the sorting hat have ever made such a huge mistake? 

She could not meet her father's eyes. Seeing Vance and Vivienne's disappointed faces was enough for her to know how terrible the decision was. 

She knew that if she wasn't a Ravenclaw, then she wasn't a Vandenberg. 

~

"It must be a mistake, it must!" Veronica exclaimed as she paced around their dorm room.

Veronica decided that first thing in the morning she would go to her father's classroom and tell him that she wanted this mistake fixed. She could not, would not, be a Gryffindor. 

"Look at this way, Roni: At least we're together." Lavender smiled. 

Veronica agreed that it was good that the two girls weren't separated. But still, she felt like a failure nonetheless. The only Vandenberg ever to not be sorted into Ravenclaw was her. 

"You're not the only one who's not where they should be. My parents should like to disown me once they find out I've ended up here." A girl with jet black hair interjected. 

The dark-haired girl unpacked her things with a blasé nature, seemingly unbothered by her current situation. "I'm Ivy Parkinson, by the way. Though, I don't think I'll be a Parkinson much longer." She chuckled. 

Veronica caught a glimpse of the puffy-haired Granger girl peeking at them all from the top of her book. She had a rather disturbed look on her face, she almost looked annoyed. 

"There's two Parkinson's?" Lavender asked. 

"Yep! Me and my sister Pansy—A.K.A: my parent's favorite. This is just another reason for them to favor her over me." Ivy shrugged. 

"Oh," Lavender said, "I-I'm sorry." 

"I'm not. It was bound to happen at some point. I think they've loathed me from the moment I was born." Ivy explained. 

Hermione shut her book loudly, glaring at the three girls. "It's no use to cry over it, Veronica. You're a Gryffindor, and there's no going back. So, I suggest that you all stop whining and get some sleep before classes tomorrow." 

~

Veronica did not enjoy her first couple of days at Hogwarts. She had been avoiding her siblings and her father after the embarrassment of being sorted into Gryffindor. 

She hated the look of the gold and red tie on her. She hated the lion badge that sat on her chest. She hated the red hood of her robes and redlining on her sweater. She just loathed everything about being a Gryffindor. 

As she walked to Potions, she saw her brother down the corridor. She felt her body freeze and her eyes widened. But before she could move, Vance spotted her. 

His eyes lit up and Veronica finally moved. She quickly walked in the opposite direction from where her brother was. She could hear him calling her name as he ran to catch her. "Roni, wait!" He grabbed her shoulder. 

Veronica turned around reluctantly and looked up at her brother. She was nervous to hear what he had to say. She knew he couldn't be happy about her not being a Ravenclaw. 

"I've barely seen you since we've been here. Where have you been?" He asked her. 

She was shocked at his words. She thought that he'd surely summoned her to taunt her. She didn't expect him to say that. 

Veronica didn't respond to him at first. She just held her books close to her chest and looked down at her feet. 

"Don't tell me that this has to do with what happened on the first day of school." Vance raised his brow at his baby sister. 

Veronica sighed, "How could it not? How could I not be upset?" She asked.

"Veronica, you've got to be joking. This is why you've been avoiding us?" He chuckled. 

"If I'm not a Ravenclaw, then I'm not a Vandenberg. If I'm not a Vandenberg, then what am I?" Veronica looked down sadly. 

"Roni, Gryffindor is a great house where you will do great things. Just because you are not a Ravenclaw doesn't mean that you are any less than Vivienne and me. You are still a Vandenberg." Vance placed his hands on her shoulders. 

Veronica had always looked up to Vance. With him being four years older than her, Veronica had always viewed him as this strong person that she aspired to be. But little did she know that she inspired him just the same. 

"Now, off to study hall you go. I hear Snape will be proctoring the hour, and you do not want to get on his bad side." Vance wrapped his arm around her and lead her away. 

~

Though her brother's talk helped to settle her negative thoughts somewhat, she still hadn't spoken to her father. The thought of having to talk to him about it made her feel sick. 

What would he do? Would he yell? Would he shame her? Would he disown her like the Parkinson's would disown Ivy? 

Veronica sat in study hall, working to memorize one of the beginner's potions she learned in class. She would have much rather been studying something else, for she didn't have an affinity for potions. It wasn't that she wasn't good at potions, but she greatly disliked the class. 

She rested her chin in her hand as she wrote the mixing steps down. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white slip of paper being slid in her direction. 

Veronica ignored it, intent on memorizing the potion. "Psst!" 

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up from her book. Her eyes searched for a moment before landing on a boy that was sat next to her. The boy was already looking at her with expectant eyes. He was biting down on his lip in anticipation. 

He had red hair and freckles, similar to their house prefect Percy. His nose was very strong and his eyebrows were thick. His robes had a red hood like hers and he had the same red and gold tie. 

Veronica gave him a perplexed look. He motioned to the paper next to her, mouthing for her to open it. She looked down at the crumpled paper again in confusion, so the boy nodded for her to go ahead. 

She sighed and finally picked up the paper. She quickly opened it before Snape would catch them. 

The boy watched her as she opened the tiny slip. He'd noticed her a few days before at the sorting ceremony. He remembered how he and his brother George and his friend Lee found her to be very pretty. And he remembered how their section of the table crossed their fingers as they secretly hoped the pretty first year would be sorted into Gryffindor. 

Veronica's eyes scanned over the slip in shock. On the paper was a cartoon-like sketch of her. In the drawing, she had a book in front of her and was writing with her quill in deep concentration. 

'Are you sad?' Was written just beneath the drawing.

She looked back in his direction and he shrugged. Veronica didn't find his little drawing to be funny or cute. She was trying to study and this boy had the nerve to try and distract her. So, she simply acted like she'd never picked the slip up and went back to her book. 

The boy chuckled at her serious nature. He wondered why she acted so cold. Obviously, something was bothering her, and he wanted to know what had her so upset. Or he at least wanted to make her laugh. 

Not too long after, Veronica felt something light hit the top of her head. She gasped softly before darting her gaze in his direction. She gave him an angry look to which he just smiled. 

"Go on and see what it is." He whispered for her to open the balled-up paper. 

Veronica rolled her eyes and uncrumpled the paper. This time it was a drawing of her and him. His hair was drawn spikey and he had glimmer drawn where his smile was. Veronica had hearts for eyes and she seemed to be in awe of the boy drawn next to her. 

"Is this supposed to be charming?" She snapped. 

The boy shook his head playfully as he scooted closer to her. Veronica sighed and tried to focus back on her books. But she could feel the boy looking at her, and it was harder to ignore now that he was closer. 

"Sorry, you just seemed... sad? I thought you might need cheering up." He shrugged. 

Veronica looked at him, "Well silly drawings won't make me feel better. Plus, I don't even know you. What makes you think you'd have the capacity to make me feel better?" She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Well, I mean... You're a Gryffindor, I'm a Gryffindor... Doesn't that kind of make us friends?" He tilted his head with a grin.

"It certainly does not." She looked away from him. 

He chuckled lightly, moving closer to Veronica. He looked over her shoulder at what she was writing down. "Hey, you know, I'm kind of really good at potions. I could help you if you want." He suggested. 

Veronica turned to say something snarky, but she stopped immediately. She was shocked by how his smile did seem to glimmer the same way he'd drawn in the picture. Veronica recoiled slightly and gulped nervously before looking away. 

"I'm Fred, by the way," He nodded proudly, "Fred Weasley. Do you have a name?" 

She sighed, "Veronica." She said quietly. 

"Sorry, what was that? Vanessa? Valerie?" He teased, cupping his hand around his ear.

"Veronica." She reiterated. 

Fred gasped playfully and tilted his chin up at her. "Veronica." He said dreamily as he made an invisible rainbow with his hands. 

Veronica could feel herself warming to him, but she didn't want him to know that. He was an imbecile obviously. She didn't want him to get the idea that they were friends. 

"Do you have a nickname? Something like 'Roni'?" He asked. 

"You're not allowed to call me that." She insisted. 

Fred winced, "Eh, I don't like Roni for you anyway. It's too close to my brother Ron's name. You might know him, he's in your year. Anyways, I think I'll call you something else." He got a pensive look on his face. 

Veronica rolled her eyes. She could not understand how someone could be so forthright with someone they don't even know. She almost was in awe of his confidence. In fact, she would have admired him if she didn't find him ridiculous. 

"I think I'll call you Vee." Fred decided.

Vee. 

She hated to admit it, but Veronica really liked the name. It was unique, different. It rolled right off the tongue. And Veronica really adored it. 

Instead of expressing her appreciation of the name, Veronica simply dipped her quill into the ink next to her and continued writing. 

"Mr. Weasley, is there a reason that you're invading Ms. Vandenberg's space?" Snape suddenly came up behind them. 

Fred cleared his throat and Veronica buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. Fred scooted away from her and looked at Veronica awkwardly. 

Snape looked between the two young Gryffindor's with contempt. "Next time it'll be detention instead of a warning." He said rudely. 

Veronica rolled her eyes at the cruel professor. No wonder she found potions so banal. With someone like Snape as the teacher, who wouldn't hate potions? 

Snape flung his cape as he began to walk away from them, the edge of the fabric slapping Fred in the face. Fred scrunched his face in disgust, gagging exaggeratedly. 

Veronica unintentionally, unwilling, snickered. Fred's eyes lit up at her and he clapped his hands together once in excitement. Everyone in the hall looked at Fred in confusion and Veronica dropped her head in embarrassment. "Oh, my-" She whispered to herself. 

She peeked back at Fred, who was overjoyed at seeing her smile for the first time. He pointed at her and she shook her head at him as a smile crept to her face again. "See, I told you I'd make you smile." He winked at her and her heart fluttered a bit.

"Mr. Weasley, you're this close to a detention," Snape warned the red-haired boy, who was drawing quite a bit of attention, from across the room. 

"Stop." She mouthed to him. She had a stern brow and a firm expression. But Fred could see that she wanted to laugh in her eyes.

Fred nodded with a look of agreement, pretending to zip his lips. Veronica let out a huff and Fred gave the wavy-haired girl a final wink before he turned back to his book.

~

so that's how veronica and fred first met. 

as you can tell, they're both quite smitten with one another already.

but things will take a turn very soon. 

don't forget to vote and comment, heavy on the comment part because i love seeing what you guys think of everything happening. 

i'll update again either next Sunday or within the next couple of days.

<33


	3. prélude deux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now five years older than she was the last time we saw her, Veronica confronts the confusing and abrupt new feelings she has as she begins her fifth year at Hogwarts.

WARNING!!!: mature content ahead involving sexually explicit scenes.

Years passed and it didn't take Veronica long to grow to love being a Gryffindor. After she was certain that neither of her parents was upset, she had no problem being where she was. Her family embraced her being different from them. They loved that the youngest Vandenberg was a Gryffindor, though they felt it a loss to Ravenclaw to not gain her exceptionalism. 

Lavender and Ivy became her sisters. The Brown family may as well have been apart of the Vandenberg's after 1991. And Ivy was as good as a daughter to Vaughn and Vera. Christmas, Easter, Summer... they all spent them together. 

Veronica had also grown close to her other roommate Hermione. Though Hermione found the three girls to be annoying at first, she grew to enjoy their company. She found it refreshing to not always be around Harry and Ron. Of course, Harry and Ron were her best friends, but sometimes they didn't understand all her problems like Veronica and the others did. And much to Hermione's relief, Veronica adored Harry and Ron. 

She adored the whole Weasley clan. 

And that's why in the summer before her third year, when Molly Weasley invited her to The Burrow, she decided to forego being with her family to be with theirs. Of course, she took Ivy with her. Ivy had no other place to go, so Molly welcomed her as well. She also invited Lavender, but she decided that she would rather be with her mother and father and that she would visit her friends on weekends. 

It was one of the best summers Veronica ever experienced. Not to mention that Molly's cooking was like nothing she'd ever tasted. 

After the day in study hall, Veronica seemed to look for Fred and his confidence everywhere. She later learned that he had a twin named George, who was equally as playful but slightly quieter. She also realized that even though he was loud, and a troublemaker, and laughed at things like farts and knocking people off of their brooms in quidditch practice, she was fond of him. 

And that summer, Veronica found out just how much she truly was fond of him. 

By that time, Fred wasn't the same little boy that he was in his second year. He was about eight inches taller after his and George's growth spurt in their fourth year. His once noodle-like, lanky arms were now toned and lined with muscle. He let his hair grow out so that it stopped at his shoulders. And all his facial features had matured, turning him from a boy to a handsome young man. 

Not to mention that he was so damn charming. 

Veronica hated that she adored him so much. She wished that she could go back to that rigid persona she held the first few months she knew him. 

She tried avoiding him that summer. She never sat next to him, she never spoke to him unless he spoke to her first, and she could barely meet his eyes without blushing. But it was to no avail, for Fred finally called her out on it one day. 

"Vee," Is what he said when he approached her. 

Vee. 

It was a nickname that was uniquely his for her. No other person but him called her that. To everyone else, she was always Veronica or Roni. But to him, she was Vee. 

She didn't know it, but Fred had new feelings arise about her too. Though, he'd always thought softly of her. 

He was hurt that she didn't greet him with a giant hug when she arrived at The Burrow that summer like she always did. Instead, he was greeted by a handshake and an awkward smile. 

It confused him, baffled him. Vee revered him. Vee idolized him. Why would she act so weird all of a sudden?

After he confronted her, nothing changed. She still avoided him and didn't offer him a reason as to why. She just told him that nothing was wrong and continued to occupy herself with Hermione and Ivy. 

Fred found himself being jealous of everyone at The Burrow at some point. Because Veronica was talking to everyone but him. And when they did converse it wasn't on the level that he wanted. He even started to feel jealous of George, who was also getting to experience the best parts about Vee. 

Arthur Weasley managed to get them all tickets to The Quidditch World Cup. Veronica was absolutely ecstatic to be going. 

But then, the attack struck, sending the event into chaos. Veronica was immediately separated from Hermione and Ivy and everyone else. She saw Hermione being swept away by the crowd as she called Veronica's name, but Veronica saw no sign of Ivy anywhere. As she ran in no particular direction, she was knocked down harshly. Her knee and shoulder were bloody and scraped, and every time she tried to get up she was knocked down again. She felt a hand on her shoulder and then she was quickly lifted off of the ground. "Come on, Vee, come on!" 

Once they got safely away from the attack, Fred immediately looked over Veronica to make sure she wasn't hurt. Veronica was dazed, staring at him blankly as he shook her repeatedly. "Vee, you're bleeding," Fred said. 

Veronica snapped out of her shock, blinking at his concern. Hermione and Ivy came into view, relief in their faces as they saw Veronica. Veronica took them being there as a chance to get as far away from  
Fred as possible. She looked back at him and she saw his worried expression right away. She shrugged out of his hold, "I'm fine." She said coldly as she made her way towards Ivy, whose arms were open to her. 

After World Cup day, Fred decided that he didn't care anymore. Vee was just a stupid little girl anyway, he shouldn't have cared about how she treated him. She probably was just upset over something juvenile and he didn't care what his part in it was because to his knowledge he had done nothing to Vee. 

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to really not care. 

Come December of that year was the Yule Ball, a Triwizard Tournament tradition. Everyone buzzed as they scrambled for dates to the anticipated ball. 

Veronica did not expect being asked to the ball. She didn't mind the idea of it just being her, Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender at the ball together. But then, Hermione was asked by Viktor Krum. And then, Ivy was asked by Dean Thomas. 

That left just Veronica and Lavender.

When Veronica heard that Lavender was going to the ball with Seamus Finnegan, she was happy for her best friend but sad for herself. Her plan of them going in a group was foiled, and now it was just two weeks before the day and she had no date. 

She started to think about who she might want to go with. And she discovered that there was no one that she could think of. 

No one except for one person. 

She wished it wasn't him because he was so unattainable. But every time she thought of her perfect Yule Ball, in her perfect dress, with her perfect hair, it was no one else but Fred that she imagined next to her. 

But it was too late. Fred had already asked a girl in his year named Angelina. He seemed to really like her too. And in that aspect, she was happy for both of them that they were happy. 

Plus, Fred hadn't paid her any mind since they'd been back at school. He'd preoccupied himself with his friends and that did not include Veronica. But he still would think of her, and walk a few paces behind her to her next class to make sure she got there okay, and get her laundry when he got his own. But he thought of it as just being nice. 

Veronica tried not to let it upset her. After all, it was all her fault for ignoring him over the summer. She immersed herself in her books and her friends, doing her best to not even pay it any mind. She made new friends that year too, her closest new friend being Fleur Delacour. 

Finally, Veronica was asked to the ball by a fifth-year Slytherin named Terrence Higgs. He was handsome and nice and she did have fun at the ball with him, but he was no Fred.

She became fine with the fact that Fred and her were no longer close. He did his own thing and she did hers. It became that they barely even saw one another at all. And when they did see each other, they'd greet each other with a smile or a nod and would go on their way. 

Veronica had returned for her fifth year and the stakes were high. She knew when she left in June that everything in the Wizarding World was going to change. A boy had died, suspected at the hands of You-Know-Who. Nothing would be the same, and she knew it. She could tell that her parents were anxious. They didn't even let their children send letters over the break in fear of them being intercepted. Her parents also had started staying out later that summer for reasons unbeknownst to Veronica and her siblings. She didn't see Hermione or the Weasley's at all that summer. 

Of course, she understood her parent's unrest. Because if Lord Voldemort was truly back, he'd harshly come for "blood traitors" like the Vandenberg's, the Brown's, and the Weasley's. But she knew that if it came to a fight, that they'd stop at nothing to defeat him. Even if it meant that they'd sacrifice themselves for the greater good. 

She was nervous about her O.W.L exams, and the reality that she would be leaving Hogwarts soon was becoming more and more real. It was funny to her. When she first came to Hogwarts, she wanted nothing but to leave. Now, all she wanted was to stay. 

All of her friends had picked their career paths. Lavender and Hermione wanted to be activists, doing work to free house-elves and gain equality for magical creatures. Ivy wanted to be a journalist, but she made sure everyone knew she wanted to be nothing like Rita Skeeter and the other sell-outs at The Prophet. 

But Veronica had yet to find her spark. It seemed that she didn't have an affinity for anything. She didn't want to work at the Ministry, and though she was exceptional in all her classes, none of the subjects truly sparked her interest. Veronica had no clue what she wanted to do with her life after Hogwarts. 

"Dean told me that Lee Jordan is throwing a back-to-school party in the common room. We should go." Ivy suggested as they unpacked. 

"Ooh, yes!" Lavender said excitedly. 

"No way. This is fifth-year, this isn't fun and games anymore." Hermione shook her head.

"Oh, come on. This is exactly why we should go, we only have a short time before we'll have to be responsible for our actions." Ivy went around and hugged Hermione's shoulders. 

"I've gone four years with no disciplinary problems. I'm not going to let that change now. Plus, I'm a Prefect, I'm supposed to be setting an example!" Hermione explained. 

"Roni, what do you think?" Lavender turned to Veronica. 

Veronica stopped organizing her things and gave her a look like she was caught off-guard. Veronica hadn't been listening. In fact, she hadn't heard a word anyone said all day. She was too on edge, too distracted. She just didn't feel right for some reason. 

"Oh," She shook her head, "um, sounds fun." She smiled awkwardly. 

"Are you alright?" Lavender patted her back. 

She nodded, "Just fine." She reassured.

Hermione looked at her, "You didn't eat too much on the train, did you? You seemed to be stress eating those Chocolate Frogs." Hermione pointed out. 

"Guys, I'm fine! I promise." Veronica chuckled. "I think we should go to the party also. It'll be good for us like Ivy said." She changed the subject. 

"I guess I'm outnumbered then." Hermione sighed. 

Ivy laughed and lightly pushed her shoulder. Then she went in her trunk and threw a top at Hermione. "That's right, we're gonna party tonight, and I wanna see all your inner bimbo's come out," Ivy said in a sing-song voice. 

Veronica smirked as she rolled her eyes. "Now, that will not be happening. We should make an appearance and then get back so we can rest up for tomorrow." She giggled. 

"Oh what? No! We have to stay the whole time! Can we please?" Lavender pulled at Veronica's sleeve. 

"Roni is right. We don't want to be asleep in class tomorrow." Hermione agreed. 

"Please? Roni, I have this wicked top that would look amazing on you! Please, please, please?" Lavender begged. 

Veronica looked down at her as Lavender poked her bottom lip out. She chuckled lightly and sighed. "You can stay but I'm coming back up after an hour." She insisted. 

That was a lie, of course. Veronica and the rest of them ended up staying at the party for a long while. It seemed that every time they tried to leave, the party would just get better and more fun. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline, or the small amount of liquid courage she consumed. Maybe it was the black cold-shoulder top that Lavender let her wear that night. But Veronica was more confident than she'd ever felt before. She wasn't thinking about O.W.L exams, or You-Know-Who, or picking a career path. She wasn't even worried about the classes she had to attend the next day. And while she was in her right mind and completely aware of everything happening, she was outside of herself in a good way. 

It was maybe three hours into the party when Ron came up to Veronica. "Oi, Roni, can you do me a favor?" He asked. 

"What is it?" She sighed.

He leaned closer to her and cleared, "There's some PDC in Fred and George's room, um... Do you think you can go get it?" He asked her. 

Her eyes widened, "Ronald Billius Weasley, where the hell did you get Powdered Dragon Claw from? You know how much trouble-"

"Relax, it's completely safe. It just makes you feel relaxed, that's all." He defended. 

Veronica sighed and looked away from him for a moment, "And what's so wrong with your legs that you can't get it?" She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Because Harry and I have to get all these bloody fourth years out of here. Please, Roni, it's right on Fred's dresser." He begged. 

She whined, throwing her head back in frustration. "I could be expelled if I get caught." She mentioned. 

"All's you gotta do is get the shit from their room to here. There's no reason for you to be caught unless you plan on waltzing down to Dumbledore's office with it." Ron sassed. 

Veronica chuckled. She'd always valued Ron's occasional sassiness. "Alright, I'll go. But I get the first line of it." She smirked. 

"Deal." He shook her hand.

"Good. It's on his dresser, you said?" She asked and he nodded. "Be back soon." She sighed as she walked towards the steps to the boy's dorm room. 

Veronica got to Fred and George's room, which was a mess as you can probably imagine. There were clothes everywhere, empty bottles of water and energy drink from after their quidditch games and practices. At least Lee's side of the room was a little cleaner. 

Veronica walked to Fred's dresser and started looking for the PDC. In all honesty, Veronica had never seen any drugs before so she had no clue what she was looking for. She assumed it would be in a little packet right there on Fred's dresser like Ron said. But it was nowhere to be found. Veronica opened his drawers and reached through his clothes to see if it might be in there, but there was nothing. She looked under his pillow, and there was nothing. She looked under his bed even, and it wasn't there. 

She sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed, slightly frustrated that she couldn't find it. 

Fucking Ron. She thought. It probably wasn't even here to begin with. 

She ran her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes to just catch her breath for a moment. It was quiet up there in their room, though you could still hear the muffled noise of the party that still raged on down the steps. When she opened her eyes, they landed on Fred's miniature bulletin board that hung above his dresser. A smile came to her face as she saw all of his quidditch medals and other paraphernalia hanging from it. 

She stood up to get a closer look and noticed all the pictures he had hung up. There was a family portrait of all nine Weasleys with cheery smiles on their faces, Molly and Arthur in the middle of all of them. Then there was one of him and George at their first quidditch match. They were pretending to flex their then-nonexistent muscles with threatening faces. And there was a picture of him holding Ginny when she was a baby. He looked up at the camera in amazement while Ginny was screaming her head off. 

And then she saw herself on the board—well, both of them actually—smack in the middle. She furrowed her eyebrows and leaned in closer. 

It was a photo of them, she was in her third year and he was in his fourth. It was after Sirius Black broke into the castle and all the students were made to sleep in the Great Hall. While Veronica, Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender didn't find the situation funny, Fred and George were acting like it was a sleepover. She vividly remembered them cracking jokes, laughing loudly when the rest of the hall was dead quiet, Snape snapping at them to settle down. 

And she remembered when Fred snapped that photo of them. 

She had sat up to comfort a very worried Lavender. Lavender was so scared that she was on the verge of tears. Veronica, though reasonably worried herself, tried to calm her down. Once she had gotten Lavender to lay down, Fred tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, he was holding his polaroid high up.

"Smile, Vee!" He exclaimed only seconds before snapping the picture of them. 

"Ugh, Fred, are you kidding me?" She pushed him as the photo developed and he chuckled.

Veronica had a blank expression on her face in the photo. Fred's mouth was in an almost unnaturally wide smile. His thumb was pointing at her very tired figure as if he was saying, "Hey, look at my busted friend". 

It was one of the last times they had acted like close friends.

She winced at how she looked in the photo. And she hated that he had the photo on his bulletin board where everyone could see. Veronica thought he probably had it up so he could laugh about it with his friends. It was embarrassing to think about. 

"What are you doing in here?" Someone asked from behind her. 

Veronica jumped and turned around swiftly. Her eyes landed on Fred standing in the doorway. She let out a breath, "God, you scared me." She said. 

He stared at her and she suddenly felt very aware of herself. She rubbed her hand down her arm nervously and looked away from him. "I, uh, was looking for-"

"For this?" He held two tiny packets of a powdery substance between his middle and index finger. 

It was weird being alone with Fred for Veronica. For so long, she had been trying to avoid being alone with him. In fact, she actually hadn't spoken to him since they got to Hogwarts earlier that day. It was like she didn't recognize him. 

Fred had cut his hair and the style suited him a lot. Somehow, he'd gotten even taller than he already was last year. His bone structure in his face was more accentuated, and training for quidditch over the summer had made him really fit. His fitted sweater brought attention to his strong arms, which made Veronica feel weak. And his large hands dangled the PDC in front of her. 

"Ron told me to get it." She explained and he nodded. 

They stood there in silence, Veronica playing with her fingers as she looked at him awkwardly. 

"So," She dragged out, "Can I have it?" 

Fred felt something tugging at his heart as he looked at Vee. He'd always found her pretty from the day he saw her, but looking at her there in front of him... Vee was beautiful. 

Her dark, wavy hair framed her face perfectly, bringing out her high cheekbones. Her once tall, lanky figure was now curvy and womanly. The light reflected perfectly in her hazel eyes, putting every golden fleck in them on display to Fred. Fred found her soft, caramel skin inviting him to run his hand over her cheek. And her full lips were daring him to kiss them. 

He shook his head and blinked, "No... No, I'm not giving it to you." He answered her. 

Veronica's face fell, "What? Why?" She asked in confusion. 

"You shouldn't be doing this shit, Veronica. It's bad for you." He explained. 

Veronica? 

She wasn't sure if she'd ever heard him call her anything but Vee. Veronica sounded so wrong coming from him. The sound of it sent a shockwave through her body. And subconsciously, it made her quite mad. 

Veronica? 

She scoffed, now emboldened. "So, it's okay for you to do it and no one else?" She crossed her arms over her chest. 

"I'm different from you." He doubled-down.

Veronica laughed and nodded in amusement, "Different from me? God..." She rolled her eyes. "You don't even know me anymore, Fred." She said spitefully. 

"Look, I'm not giving you this shit just so you can get fucking high, okay? You'll have to force it from me." He snapped at her. 

He didn't care that Vee was angry. PDC isn't something you play with. Vee was different from him. She had a path in life, so he thought, and he wasn't gonna let her mess that up just to get high once. 

Veronica charged at him and she saw worry flash on Fred's face. She reached for the PDC and he pulled it away from her. "Fred, I'm serious! Stop!" She reached for it again. 

Fred lifted his arm high up in the air, knowing that she wouldn't be able to reach it up there. Though she was tall, Veronica could not stretch enough to get to Fred's hand. Fred chuckled as she struggled to grab at the packets. She glared at him as she jumped up, but Fred just raised himself onto the balls of his feet. Veronica pushed down on his shoulder for support, not even realizing how close she was to him. 

But Fred noticed their proximity. 

He had stopped laughing once he did, his senses overcome by her. He felt her hair tickle his face as she reached up. Her scent filled his nose and he found himself breathing in to get more of it. 

His hand found her waist, and that was when Veronica noticed how quiet he'd become. Her breath hitched and her stomach dropped. She looked into his eyes, which had darkened. Fred has the ghost of a smirk on his lips that made it hard for her to think straight. 

But what she didn't realize was that Fred was finding it hard to think straight around her too. The only thing that he could think of was how pretty she was. 

Veronica brought her hand down, completely forgetting the PDC and getting lost in his eyes. Fred couldn't help but bring his hand up to her hair and brush it away from her face. At that moment, he realized how much he had missed her being around. All summer he'd felt like something was missing, and he didn't know it was her until now. 

The two young wizards were intoxicated by each other at that moment. Something awakened in the two of them that night. 

As Veronica brought her hands to rest on his arms, Fred finally spoke. 

"When did you get so pretty, Vee?" He rested his forehead on hers. 

Veronica was stunned by his words. Of course, she was attracted to Fred, but never did she ever think that he'd feel remotely the same. He was Fred Weasley the womanizer. He had every girl at Hogwarts wrapped around his finger. She never thought that he'd look at her in that way. 

Without thinking, Veronica grabbed the back of his head and crashed her lips onto his. 

Fred froze at first, shocked by her forwardness. If anything, he thought that he'd be the one to kiss her. But the softness of her lips drew him in. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started to kiss her back. Veronica's hands tangled in his hair, gripping his scalp. 

She didn't know what had come over her. She felt no nerves, no fear, just pure euphoria. 

Fred's hands traveled down to her bum, gripping its fullness roughly. Their bodies moved together and the list was starting to build between them. Fred felt his heartbeat increasing as her breasts pressed against his chest. His brain tingled, Veronica's kiss making him lose all his senses. 

He leaned down to grab her by the thighs. Veronica lifted herself and wrapped her legs around his waist. She smiled into the kiss and her hands cupped his face. 

As Veronica grinded against him, Fred felt himself starting to lose control. His need for her was growing by the second. He took the liberty of running his tongue across the bottom of her lip, asking for entrance non-verbally. With no hesitation, she opened her mouth and let their tongues dance. 

Veronica moaned into his mouth and her nose brushed against his. She could feel a heat that she'd never felt before growing between her legs. She tried her best to press herself against him as much as she could, trying to get any sort of relief through the fabric of her jeans. The ache between her legs was potent and primal. Every ounce of relief she got sent a shockwave through her body. 

"Fred." She moaned softly against. 

The sound of her voice saying his name sent Fred over the edge. He walked them backwards towards his dresser swiftly. He was so feverish and hysteric that he set Veronica down on his dresser so hard that his quidditch medal fell on the top of her head with a dull plop. 

Her hand came to her head immediately and she winced. Fred pulled his lips from hers with a worried look. "Fuck, Vee, are you okay?" He cupped her face. 

Fred's large hands smushed her cheeks together slightly. Though there was a stinging feeling where she'd been hit, Veronica couldn't have cared less. All she wanted right then was to feel his lips on hers again. 

Fred's eyes were wide and Veronica could tell that he was truly concerned. Looking at how serious he was, Veronica snorted. A laugh erupted from her, her shoulders bobbing up down. Fred looked at her with confusion as he brushed her hair away from her face. "You're laughing." He shook his head and let himself chuckle a bit. 

Veronica grabbed his collar and pulled him into her again, attaching their lips again. 

Fred wanted her so badly, but before they went any further, he wanted to make sure she was okay with it all. He ran his hand up to her breast and cupped it. "Are you okay with this?" He asked between kisses. 

Her hands ghosted over his chest, "Yes, but..." She started as his lips traveled to her neck. 

"What is it?" He breathed. 

Veronica became nervous again. But she couldn't lie to him. She was the typical virginal girl. She'd never been touched by anyone, not even herself. Of course, she'd thought about those things and wasn't opposed to them at all. But the thought of losing her virginity was frightening. 

Fred could tell by the look on her face that she'd never done anything along those lines before. So, as the more experienced one, he took it upon himself to make her feel more comfortable. 

He reached under her arms and lifted her from the dresser. Veronica felt giddy as he moved her from the dresser to the bed so easily. She tried to keep herself composed, but the alcohol in her system was making her feel bold. Fred smiled as he laid her back onto the bed. "Is this better?" He asked and she nodded. "Good." He said quietly. 

Veronica stared up at him in anticipation. Fred parted her legs with his knee and then leaned down to her face. She sucked in a sharp breath as his nose lightly tapped hers. With his lips turned up into a smirk, he reached for his wand under his pillow. Veronica was entranced by their closeness that she didn't even realize. 

He pointed his wand towards the door, "Colloportus." He cast. 

The soft clicking noise sent a chill down Veronica's spine. Fred put his wand back and brought his lips to her neck again. Veronica's hands ran down his back softly. Her nose rested in the crook of his neck and she closed her eyes. 

Fred hummed as he snaked down her body. He looked up at her and she waited for what he would do next. Veronica took in a breathe as he unbuttoned her pants. His cold fingers brushed against her warm stomach and she winced at their coolness. 

Skillfully, he hooked his fingers around the band of her jeans and underwear. Veronica kicked off her shoes as he pulled her bottoms off of her. She felt the cool air on her legs as he exposed her inch by inch. She lifted her hips slightly so he could get her pants all the way off. 

She wanted him so badly, but she wasn't sure if she was ready. She couldn't think of anyone more kind, more understanding, or more patient to do this with for the first time. But still, she was quite nervous. 

Fred's soft lips kissed her hipbone gently and her lower-half jolted slightly. He placed his hand on her abdomen, hushing her as he continued to pepper kisses on the sensitive skin there. 

She was so confused as to what he was planning to do. But whatever it was, she had a feeling that she'd like it a lot. Despite her inexperience, she was knowledgeable enough to know where she wanted him. 

Fred placed his hands on her knees, his eyes flicking up at the beautiful girl before him. He parted her legs slowly. Veronica screwed her eyes shut and her heart started beating faster. 

Fred was now face to face with her bare sex. He was growing aroused by the fact that he was going to be the first person to ever touch her. The sight of the glistening between her legs sent him into a haze. His eyes were glazed over now and Veronica's stomach was in knots. Fred leaned in and kissed her right inner thigh delicately. Then he brushed past her center, his nose ever-so-slightly brushing against it, to kiss her left inner thigh. 

The feeling of his nose brushing against her made Veronica release a weak cry of arousal. He was kissing her everywhere except where she needed him to. Fred smirked to himself at how worked up he'd gotten her. 

"Don't worry," He whispered into her skin, "I'm gonna take care of you." 

His breath tickled her skin and she bucked her hips up at him. "Fred, please." She finally begged breathlessly. 

Again, the sound of her voice made something click in him. Each time she spoke, it was like a magician had hypnotized him. 

He pulled her down so that her bottom rested just on the edge of the bed. Her legs draping over his shoulders. Veronica's mouth fell open agape at the swiftness of the movement. With a dazed look, Fred dipped in between her legs and went in with his tongue, licking a bold stripe up her slit. 

Veronica let out a moan of pure relief, her face scrunching. Fred knew she'd be more sensitive to everything he was doing. His fingers dug into her hip as he held her in place for him. Reaching up with his free hand, he intertwined his fingers with Veronica's to comfort her. 

Her feet flexed as his tongue explored every crevice of her. She squeezed his hand so tightly that his fingers were turning purple slightly. But Fred didn't notice the numbness of his fingers, as it was overshadowed by the thousands of other nerves in his body that were on fire at that moment. 

Instinctively, Veronica's free hand went to her breast and started to massage it deeply. The feeling added an extra sensation to the prodding of Fred's tongue. Fred groaned at the sight of her touching herself, his member twitching in his boxers. He let his lips wrap around her clit, hollowing his cheeks to add pressure. Veronica gasped at the foreign feeling. 

As he sucked, he also let the tip of his tongue tease her clit as well. The action sent an electric current from her core, down her legs, to the tips of her toes. 

Veronica's head was empty. She could think of nothing but the overwhelming pleasure Fred was giving her. But even with as good as it felt, Veronica wanted more. 

She threw her head back as he hummed against her slickness, causing her core to pulse and vibrate. Fred released her clit and placed a sweet kiss right on top of it that made her shudder in delight. He dipped his tongue into her entrance, beginning to push it in and out skillfully. He reached his hand around her thigh and pressed his thumb to her clit. His thumb rubbed her in a circular motion as his tongue worked at her slit. 

Veronica tried her best to not let all the lewd noises that threatened to escape her leave her mouth. But with each passing minute, it was becoming harder and harder. 

Fred saw her biting her lip and felt a sense of pride rise in him. "I wanna hear you, Vee."

She let out a sobbing moan at his use of her beloved nickname. Somehow it just heightened everything she was feeling. She turned her face away from him as a slew of whimpers and moans came from her. She almost felt ashamed, but it all felt too good to stay quiet. 

Veronica's moans were like cheers of encouragement to Fred. He knew that she was enjoying every bit of what he was doing and he wanted to make her feel even better. Veronica tasted amazing on his tongue. Her taste was better than any sweet or any drug he'd ever tasted. 

He applied a little bit more pressure to her clit with his thumb, but not too much to make her uncomfortable. 

The added pressure caused a feeling to build in her stomach. She felt like a brick damn that was ready to bust and release every last drop of its water. She whined and Fred's tongue started to move faster in and out of her. Her heels pressed into his back as each sensation started to compound. 

Fred could tell she was going to come from her restlessness and increasingly needy groans.

Squeezing his hand even tighter, Veronica let out a stream of moans as she was nearing the cusp of a climax. 

"Don't stop." She gasped. 

He didn't plan on it. Part of him didn't even want to stop after she'd come. Part of him wanted to devour her until she was so overstimulated that she was begging for a break. But he didn't want to push her too far. 

Finally, her back arched off the mattress. She sucked in a very sharp breath as he continued to tongue her through her climax. Her legs shook against his upper-body and her eyes rolled to the back of her head in ecstasy. 

"Fred, oh!" She cried as she reached her high. 

Fred sweetly ran his thumb against her hand. He made eye contact with the undone girl and her body writhed in heat. He brought himself back up to her face and kissed her plump, swollen lips. 

Veronica found the taste of herself on his lips to be erotica. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked her body into his slightly. One of his hands rested on the bed next to her head, and his other hand ran up and down her body.

Exhausted, Fred pulled his lips from Veronica's and nestled his face in her neck. Veronica looked at him slightly, peppering delicate kisses on the rim of his ear. 

They both thought about what this meant for them. On one hand, it could just be a hookup that means nothing. But both of them knew that that wasn't the case. And then, on the other hand, it could mean something real happened between them. And neither of them was really sure if that was what it was either. But Fred and Veronica knew one thing for sure: they didn't regret what happened.

Fred lifted up with a cheeky smile, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He kissed her nose. 

The next morning, Veronica didn't wake up in her room. It was quite early, and she sat up abruptly. She was confused at first, but as soon as she saw where she was, she remembered everything that happened. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a shirt and sleep shorts that were too big for her, and she immediately knew who's they were.

She was in the twins and Lee's room.

Her heart dipped and came back up. She'd never went back to her room or the party last night. Surely everyone knew what Fred and she had done now. It was too suspicious that they were both gone at the same time for so long. 

Just a few feet away on the floor was Fred. He was completely knocked out and wasn't waking up any time soon. George and Lee were nowhere to be found.

Veronica scrambled out of the bed, ripping the covers off of her. As she stumbled around looking for her clothes, she noticed the searing pain coming from her head. She figured that it must have been a hangover or the fact that Fred's medal had hit her in the head. 

She found her clothes neatly folded on his dresser. Seeing how Fred had taken it upon himself to fold her clothes instead of leaving them thrown on the floor made butterflies fly around in her stomach. She'd never known him to be someone that was neat. 

Grabbing her shoes, she tiptoed towards the door trying not to wake Fred up. It wasn't that she regretted what happened between them, she just wasn't ready to face him and discuss it. Part of her felt like a silly little girl who was reading into something insignificant. She was almost certain that what happened between them wasn't important to Fred in any way. But it was important to her because, before him, no one else had ever touched her. So, she didn't want to hash that out with him just yet.

She looked back at him, sleeping there on the floor. He was curled into a ball and holding the covers into his chest like they were going to run away. His eyebrows were knitted together slightly, and hushed snores escaped his mouth. 

Veronica couldn't help it. She quietly went back and knelt next to him. She could tell that he was in a deep enough sleep so that he wouldn't wake up. She bent down with a small smile and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. 

She knew that it was probably dumb. But it was more for her than it was for him. 

Veronica left right after that, walking down the stairs and into the common room. As soon as she walked in, she was met with Ginny. Ginny was already dressed in her robes and was sitting, waiting for the day to start. Veronica jumped at the sight of her. 

Ginny gave her a suspicious look as she sat there. Veronica clutched her clothes to her chest and looked at her with wide eyes. 

Veronica knew how it looked. She was stumbling out of Ginny's brother's room, hair standing on top of her head while wearing his clothes. It was quite clear what was going on. 

"Did you shag my brother?" Ginny asked her outright. 

The question shook Veronica's body to her core. It was so bluntly stated with no second thoughts. 

Veronica let out a breathy laugh. Ginny could see right through it though. She knew that something happened between Fred and Veronica. Not just because she was in his clothes, but because she looked like she'd seen a ghost. Plus she had hickeys all down her neck and legs. 

Veronica gulped, "No." She stated. "I did not shag your brother."


	4. prélude trois

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and Veronica discuss what happened the night before.

the last prelude, i promise. it's also very short and sweet, so yeah. 

Veronica was off the whole day after the night of the party. She couldn't focus in class, she wasn't engaged in discussions with her friends, and she just wasn't herself. Every time she started to act normal, she would start to think of the night before. 

It was like she was being put directly back into that moment. His hands were gripping her thighs, his mouth lapping at her core, his thumb teasing her clit. It was all she could think about all day. 

It didn't help that she was wearing a turtleneck and tights instead of her school shirt and socks. When she got in the shower that morning, she noticed that the insides of her legs had hickeys scattered on them. And then when she was brushing her teeth, she saw how her neck was similar to her legs. She couldn't help but blush slightly at them. 

She stood in the corridor with Ivy, Lavender, and Lavender's friend Fay Dunbar in between classes. The three of them chatted away while Veronica just anxiously stood there. 

She hadn't seen Fred at all yet. He didn't come to breakfast and had seemed to skip all his morning classes with George and Lee. But she was secretly glad that she hadn't seen him because of how awkward it would be with him around. She knew that he would be teasing her and making sly jokes about what happened. She knew that he'd whisper in her ear about what happened just to see her blushing and flustered. 

Ivy looked at her friend. Veronica's face was flushed and her eyes were darting. It was already weird that she wasn't wearing her proper uniform, but despite that, Ivy could tell that something was up with her. Usually, the statuesque girl would do nothing but talk during this time, but today she was eerily quiet. 

"The bell is gonna ring soon, we should start getting to class," Lavender said and they all nodded in agreement. 

Veronica sighed as she gathered her things, not feeling ecstatic about sitting through yet another class. "I seriously would rather clean the toilets at The Three Broomsticks than go to class right now," Ivy said and Veronica nodded in agreement.

The two girls walked slightly behind Fay and Lavender, who were in their own conversation. Veronica let out a yawn and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she saw Fred coming down the stairs as he laughed with his friends. 

Veronica froze, grabbing Ivy's hand. Ivy turned and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. Veronica's expression went pale and her eyes gasped as she looked at something past Ivy. Ivy followed her startled gaze and her eyes landed on Fred, who was now steadily making his way towards them. 

He hadn't noticed Veronica yet. He was still in his world of joking and playing around with George and Lee. Veronica found herself noting how good he looked even now as he childishly pranced down the hall. But she also couldn't help but think about how they could be laughing about what she and Fred did. 

She pulled Ivy with her towards the bathroom that they had just passed moments ago. Ivy already knew something was off with her, so she didn't restrain in any way. Veronica practically pushed Ivy into the bathroom and then rushed in herself before closing the door and locking it. 

"Okay," Ivy started, "what the hell is going on?" She asked with a chuckle. 

Veronica let out a huff and made her way towards the stalls. She pushed the door to each one open, making sure that no one else was in there with them. 

"What are you doing?" Ivy questioned. 

Veronica turned back around, "I don't want anyone else to hear what I'm about to tell you." She told her. 

Ivy's eyes widened, "Okay if you killed someone, don't tell me. Because if you tell me, then I can't have plausible deniability." She half-joked. 

"Ivy, it's not funny! Okay, I... I did something last night." Veronica shook her. 

"Okay, okay! Just tell me then!" Ivy laughed at her friend's seriousness. 

"I let Fred go down on me last night." She blurted over her. 

Ivy gasped, her hand slapping against her mouth. "You did what? Roni, Merlin's beard!" Ivy exclaimed. 

Veronica whined, "I know! I know! I can't believe it either. But I went upstairs to get something out of his room, and he came in, and then we kissed, and then he was french-kissing my twat!" She rambled quickly. 

Ivy laughed, "No, no. I don't believe you, I'm sorry." She snorted. 

Veronica scoffed at her defensively. "Oh? Do you want to see the hickeys all down my throat? Do you want to see the inside of my thighs?" She asked as she pulled the collar of her top down to show her the purple spots on her neck.

"Is that all you guys did?" Ivy asked. 

"Yes, that's all and then he let me borrow his clothes and I slept in his room," Veronica told her. 

"So why are you freaking out?" 

"Because, Ivy, how would you feel about having to be around someone whose face was buried in your vagina just a couple of hours ago? Mind you, we've never been romantically involved and this all just came out of nowhere! I mean, what if it makes no difference to him that it happened? What if he tells someone? I'll be ruined!" Veronica panicked. 

Ivy held her hand up, "Okay stop." She grabbed Veronica's shoulders and looked her in the eye. 

Ivy could see that this was bothering Veronica. And even though she found it a bit funny how much her friend was worried about it, she didn't think it the appropriate time to make jokes. 

"First of all, you know he's not gonna tell anyone. That's not like Fred at all, okay? Molly taught him better." Ivy looked up at her and Veronica calmed down a bit. "Second of all, you don't know what it meant to him. You have to actually talk to him to find out instead of locking yourself in the bathroom all day." She continued. 

Ivy was right. Veronica wasn't going to solve the issue by hiding from him. Plus, she couldn't hide forever. This wasn't something that's just forgotten about with time. She was going to have to face him one day, why stall the inevitable? 

Ivy snapped her fingers, "I knew he was lying when he told us you weren't feeling well." She said. 

"Wait what?" Veronica quirked her eyebrow. 

"Yeah. Last night he came downstairs around one o'clock and told everyone that you felt sick and that you were going to lie down in his room. But I knew something was up by the look on his face." Ivy explained. 

He must have done it when she was sleeping. Instead of letting everyone think that something happened, he gave everyone an explanation. 

Veronica let out a breath of relief, placing her hand over her heart. She was sure that everyone had been thinking that she and Fred hooked-up that night. Thankfully, Fred thought quickly on his feet. 

She realized then that she had no reason to fear talking to Fred. She had no reason to hide from him. He was her friend... kind of. Or at least they had been friends at one point in their lives. She knew that Fred would be able to have a conversation about it. She had no reason to avoid him. 

"We should go, we're going to be late." Ivy patted her shoulder.

~

As they all headed to dinner, Veronica's eyes found Fred in the crowd. 

Veronica's heart leaped, all the memories from last night flocking to her brain. It didn't take long for him to find her. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth nervously as Fred stared at her with solemn eyes. 

She had to talk to him. It was clear that both of them had things to get off of their chest about it. Veronica could tell from the look in his eyes that Fred was desperate to speak to her. 

Veronica tapped Ivy's shoulder, "Um, I'll be right back." She said and Ivy nodded. 

She made her way through the crowd towards and he did the same. 

Fred was growing worried. Veronica had avoided him all day. The idea that he may have done something she didn't like was becoming more real. What if he took it too far and she was too scared to say anything? What if she felt forced? Fred would have never forgiven himself if she felt that way. 

They finally met in the middle, both of them speechless. Fred looked down at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Veronica tucked her hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat. 

"Can we talk?" She asked him. 

He raised his eyebrows, "Oh... sure." He shrugged. "Can we go somewhere private?" He continued and she nodded as she walked past him. 

Fred and Veronica walked down the corridor where they knew no one would pass through. He sat down on the windowsill and took her hand to bring her down with him. With a sigh, he looked at her nervously and unsure of what to say. 

"Fred-"

"Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I don't regret anything that happened last night, Vee." He interrupted. 

Veronica recoiled in shock, "Wait, really?" She asked. 

"Of course I don't regret it. I was afraid that you did." He spoke truthfully. 

Veronica chuckled slightly. What would she have to regret? The night before was one of the best nights of her life thanks to him. There was no ounce of regret in her. 

"No, I was just avoiding talking to you because I didn't want to seem like some dumb fifth year who's reading into things." She told him honestly. 

"Vee, I would never think that about you. I mean, I know that I've got a reputation, but I understand that this is important to you." He took her hands in his. 

She let out a breath of relief, but she still didn't know what this meant for them. Would they go on as friends who were just attracted to one another? Or would they explore whatever feelings they felt for one another? 

"So, what does this mean?" He asked first. 

Veronica shook her head, "Whatever you want it to." 

She didn't want to come on too strong. Even though she knew what she wanted this to mean for them, she didn't want to scare him away completely. She'd let him decide where they went from here. 

"Well, to be honest with you, Vee—"

There it goes. Veronica thought. 

"—I just haven't been looking to be in a serious relationship or anything." He ran his thumb over her hand softly, giving her an empathetic look. "Last night, I don't know what it was between us but it felt so right. I'm afraid to let that feeling go." He added on. 

Veronica was growing confused. Fred didn't want a relationship, but he didn't want to let go of the feeling he got around her? It made absolutely no sense. Either this meant they'd be together or they wouldn't. 

"What are you suggesting?" She asked him. 

Fred shrugged at her, "I don't know... I guess I'm just trying to say... What if we just have fun together?" 

And that was how it started... 

Fun.

Pure, mindless fun. 

Their relationship was no strings attached. And both of them were okay with that. Fred liked it because he got to have something consistent while still maintaining his freedom, and Veronica liked it because she got to have Fred. 

They were allowed to date other people, flirt, even sleep with other people. And Veronica didn't mind because she would have rather had him that way than not have him at all. 

She should have known that when you become so intimate with someone, you're bound to fall for them.


	5. 1– Deja Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the first day of their sixth and seventh year, Fred and Veronica revisit what happened on that night exactly a year ago; Lavender introduces a new idea to Hermione, Ivy, and Veronica.

WARNING!!!: mature content ahead involving sexually explicit scenes.

Fred backed Veronica up against the wall in the corridor, his lips on her neck. Veronica's mouth was open agape as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Fred..." She breathed out, her skirt hiking up.

It had been one year since the incident between Fred and Veronica—two months since they made their arrangement. 

Now that the ice had been broken, they were close again like they were before Veronica's fourth year. They talked to each other every day, he walked her to class, and he always saved her a seat at dinner. And now and then, when they needed each other, they'd have it away.

But Veronica found herself discontent. She loved that they were friends again. She loved that she could feel comfortable around him again. But when she would see him with other girls, smiling at them, and charming them as he did her... It broke her heart. 

She didn't want to be that girl. The girl who couldn't have the relationship that they did without growing attached. But she just couldn't help it. She wanted him fully, in every way that you could want a person. 

Meanwhile, Fred was completely okay with their relationship. He liked having Veronica. But he also liked that she let him explore other possibilities. To his knowledge, she didn't care what he did as long as he was there for her at the end of the day. But he would be lying if he said he didn't have an issue with how close she was to some other guys. But that didn't matter much to him because he loved the way things were.

"Isn't it funny? We're hooking up at a party, same as last year." Fred mumbled into her neck. 

His hands traveled under her shirt and gripped her breast. Veronica bit down on his shoulder to conceal her moans. "I know," She said breathlessly, "feels like Deja vü." 

She pulled back and roughly attached their lips. Fred bucked his hips into hers, rubbing his clothed member on her core. His tongue found its way into her mouth and her fingers tangled in his hair. 

Veronica moaned into his mouth, the feeling of him rubbing against her causing friction to build up. Veronica's scent was like a drug to Fred. She smelled of cherry blossoms and gardenia, a flirtatious mix. As soon as it filled his nostrils, it made him dizzy in the most delightful way. He couldn't get enough of the feeling of her skin. His rough cheek rubbed against her supple one. His lips brushed against the velvety lobe of her ear. 

He could have held her like that all night. 

"We shouldn't do this here. We'll be caught." She brushed his hair out of his face. 

Fred hummed, hiking her up onto him more. "We'll be quick." He smirked and kissed her lips again. 

Being in the corridor, completely exposed, excited him. Anyone could walk around the corner at any minute. Someone could easily see them. But it was like a game to Fred. A game where he wanted to see how quickly he could take care of Veronica. Or one where they both made as little noise as possible. 

Fred set her down on the ground, causing Veronica to give him a confused look. "Lift your leg." He whispered into her ear. 

Veronica shuddered and bit her lip, bringing her leg into a passé. Fred reached down and grabbed her leg. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he lifted her leg onto his shoulder. The erotic nature of the pose caused Veronica to gasp. 

Fred grabbed her underwear roughly, pulling them to the side of her heat. "Careful, I like these." She pecked his lips. 

Fred grunted as his fingers found her clit. Veronica bit her lip so she didn't moan out loud. But Fred wasn't letting her off that easy. "Why so quiet, Vee?" He asked her tauntingly.

His fingers rubbed her circles, placing light pressure on the sensitive nub. Veronica rolled her head back and placed her hands on his neck. She could feel the protruding veins in his neck pulsing against her fingertips. 

"Hm, Vee? Why are you being so quiet?" He asked her again. "Can you speak?" 

Veronica's chest heaved up and down as she struggled to piece together a sentence. But her brain couldn't form a single word as Fred's fingers worked her relentlessly. "I—oh! I-I." 

Fred smirked, "You cannot even get a word out, can you? Maybe I'm not making you feel good enough. Is that why you're so quiet, Baby?" 

Veronica squealed slightly, her fingers gripping his skin. The feeling of her nails scratching the sides of his neck sent an electric charge through Fred's body. He loved seeing how undone she was by him, so worked up she couldn't speak. 

Fred moved his fingers from her clit to her entrance. He teased her slick opening, a tingling feeling erupting inside of Veronica's chest. Slowly, Fred sunk his index finger into Veronica's core. "Maybe this will get some noise out of you." He said as he pushed his finger all the way inside of her. 

Veronica's eyes rolled back into her head, her mouth opening wide. Though her lips were parted, nothing came from them. She couldn't risk anyone hearing them, even though it was extremely hard to keep quiet. 

Fred reached around to the back of her head and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He pulled her face towards his and kissed her harshly. All the while his finger pumped in and out of her, beginning to pick up a rhythm. Each time he went in, his finger pushed deeper than before. Deeper and deeper until he hit a spot inside of her that made Veronica cry out loudly. 

Fred rested his forehead against hers with a chuckle, "There you are." He said through gritted teeth. 

Veronica screwed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together. Fred kept hitting that spot over and over harshly. So harshly that Veronica's body shook with his movements. 

Fred let hit nose press against hers, "Open your eyes. I wanna see how good I make you feel." 

Veronica opened her eyes halfway. She looked at Fred through tears of pleasure and lashes. Fred's thumb went to her now swollen clit. Her sex was so sensitive now that the slightest touch to her clit sent a shockwave through her. 

"More." She sighed out. 

Fred hummed, "You want more, do you?" He asked and she nodded feverishly. 

Fred took his finger completely out of Veronica. She let out a groan of disapproval and Fred hushed her. "I've got you, don't worry." 

His finger glistened with her wetness. Fred felt himself twitch in his pants at the sight. He brought his fingers to her lips and told her to open her mouth. Veronica wrapped her lips around his fingers and locked eyes with him. Seeing her with her lips around his fingers, lustful eyes taunting him drove him crazy. 

He pulled his fingers out of her mouth and positioned them at her entrance again. Veronica's breathing was labored as Fred pushed both his middle and index finger into her this time. "Fred, oh God." She breathed. 

He buried his face in her neck, feeling all her moans vibrate against him. As he started to go faster, the wetness from her core started to drip onto his knuckles. The sound of his fingers moving in and out of her filled the space around them. Veronica could barely keep her standing leg from slipping from underneath her. 

Once he found the same spot he did before, Veronica let out a throaty moan. She placed her hand on the windowsill for stability. It was like a button inside of her that triggered a chain reaction of explosions that started at her center and ended at her head. Fred began to rub her sore clit again, causing a mixture of pain and pleasure to build up. 

She was growing closer to her peak. The loss strands of hair that lined her hairline stuck to the sweat on her forehead. Her sweat-covered chest shined in the pale moonlight that crept in from the window. "I'm close." She breathed. 

Fred grunted, "Come for me, Darling." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

Veronica's face contorted in pleasure as her orgasm built up at her center. Her mouth formed an 'o' shape as it ripped through her with fervor. Her body shook as Fred attached their lips again.

As she came down from her high, her mind was screaming for her to say something. Something that would ruin what she and Fred had. She wanted to say it so badly, just scream it out loud. But she knew she couldn't, and she knew that. 

Veronica's head rested against her knee. She breathed slowly to get her heart rate back to normal. Fred's fingers played with her wavy hair as he placed kisses on her cheek. They rested there like that for a moment until both of them felt okay enough to move. 

She slid her leg off of his shoulder and cleared her throat. Fred looked her over as she repositioned her underwear. He cupped her face and planted a kiss on her lips, "Are you alright?" He asked and she nodded. 

He brought her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Good." He breathed out. 

Veronica buried her face into his chest. She squeezed her arms around him, never wanting to let him go. She wished that they could stay in that corridor, just the two of them, forever. 

But this what she committed to.

Sneaking up to his room late at night, meeting in the Room of Requirement while everyone else ate lunch, mid-party corridor sessions, secrecy, no strings attached. 

"So," She started, "when?" 

Fred looked down at her, "When what?" He asked with confusion written on his face. 

"When are you gonna take my virginity?" She said into his chest. 

The topic was one that they'd talked about a lot, especially lately. A year of their arrangement and Fred still refused to fully have her. It baffled Veronica, as they'd already done everything but gone all the way. She knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was him. Any fear she had about losing her virginity a year ago was gone. She trusted Fred, and she wanted him to be the one to do it. 

"I don't know, Vee. Soon?" He shrugged. 

She leaned back and looked up at him, "You always say that. Why are we waiting?" 

Fred sighed. He knew that she would ask at some point that night, but he still wasn't prepared to answer. "Because you don't know if this is what you want." He said. 

"You can't be serious. Fred, I know that I want you to be the one to do it. Why are we just prolonging what we know is gonna happen eventually?" She placed her hands on either side of his face. 

She didn't understand. It's not like he'd never done it before. She was the one that should have been hesitant, but she wasn't. 

"I don't get it. I mean I know you've taken plenty of girl's virginities." She pointed out. "Angelina, Alicia, Marietta, that Beauxbaton you had a fling with... The list goes on." She continued. 

Fred knew that it was true. That wasn't enough half of the girls that he had bumped uglies within his Hogwarts years. 

But Veronica was different. 

When he looked at her, he still saw that uncertain girl he met in the library his second year. He couldn't simply treat her like she was nothing. He'd already felt that in some way he'd taken something from her or tainted her. He was friends with her sister Vivienne, who he knew would disapprove of their relationship. So you see, he didn't take the idea of deflowering her lightly.

"It's different this time, Vee." He sighed out. 

Veronica wanted to respond, but she knew that if Fred hadn't budged before, then he wasn't going to now. She let him wrap his arm around her and they started to walk back towards the party. 

Veronica stayed silent the whole way there.

~

The next day, classes were in full swing. 

As she sat in the cafeteria for lunch, Veronica noticed how there were fewer students than normal. She wasn't surprised, as You-Know-Who's return made more parents anxious enough to keep their children at home that year. The only reason Veronica and Vivienne returned was that their father was there with them. 

"Roni, did you see this?" Lavender handed her some kind of paper. 

Veronica set her fork down and took it from her, "What is it?" She asked as her eyes scanned over it. 

The flyer was white with black ink like most of the informational ones from the school. There was a girl on the poster, mid-air, kicking her leg up with a generic smile on her face. Below her were people at the ready to catch her once gravity decided to pull her down. 

Pep-Squad Try-outs. It read. 

Underneath the bold lettering was the time, date, and place that the try-outs would take place. 

See Professor Burbage for further information. 

Veronica knew what the pep-squad was. It was a team that cheered on the quidditch players at their matches. Only sixth-year girls and up were allowed to try out, and the team was run by Professor Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher. 

Lavender had always expressed her interest in being on the squad, while Veronica was indifferent and Ivy and Hermione completely opposed the idea. 

"Can we please try-out? Please?" Lavender begged Veronica. 

Veronica didn't want to be on the team. Not because she hated the idea of cheerleading, but because she didn't see what she had to offer to the team. Lavender had everything to give to them. She was peppy, and sweet, and cute. She was exactly what they were looking for. 

But what would be in the harm in trying out for her friend? Lavender always wanted to be on the team, and Veronica knew she wouldn't do it without someone else. 

"Sure." She smiled and handed the paper back to Lavender. 

Lavender clapped with excitement as Ivy and Hermione came to the table. "What's got you so happy?" Ivy asked. 

"This!" Lavender showed her the flyer and Ivy took it from her. "Veronica and I are going to try-out together." She continued. 

Hermione snickered, "Cheerleading? Are you joking?" 

Veronica glared at her, "No, we're not." She became defensive. 

Hermione rolled her eyes at Lavender and Veronica. "What? You two are gonna twirl and flip and wear those ridiculous bows like the rest of those bimbos?" She asked as she nudged Hermione. 

Veronica looked at Lavender, whose face fell immediately. Suddenly, all her excitement about the pep-squad seemed to be replaced by uncertainty. Veronica felt bad for her at that moment, seeing how she got unnervingly quiet after Hermione shot her down. 

"You know, Hermione, just because it's not something you find interest in doesn't mean it's stupid." Veronica narrowed her eyes. 

Hermione chuckled nervously as she shook her head. Ivy went red and turned her attention to her food. 

"Woah, what's got your wand in a knot?" Ivy asked. 

"Nothing. I just don't think she has to be rude about it." Veronica shrugged. 

Hermione didn't say anything back, figuring that Veronica must have been in some sort of mood. 

Veronica saw Fred enter the hall, and her entire body language changed. A smile came to her face and she turned to where he was. Veronica waved at him and he spotted her immediately. 

He jogged over to the four girls, Veronica patting the seat next to her. 

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender all exchanged knowing looks. Veronica could conceal all she wanted, but they had caught onto her and Fred a long time ago. Disappearing at the same time, flirtatious behavior, and touching, not to mention how Fred looked at Veronica when she wasn't looking. 

"Where's George and Lee?" Veronica asked him as he sat down. 

Fred gave her a wide-eyed look, "Well, hello to you too." He said. 

Veronica rolled her eyes at him playfully. She hated how she still got that giddy feeling around him even after everything. 

Fred started taking food off of Veronica's plate. She scoffed at him and smacked his hand away. "Um, there's perfectly good food right there." She pointed towards the food in front of them. 

Fred shrugged, "Yeah, but yours tastes better." 

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender kind of hated when Fred and Veronica were together around them. It was like no one else existed when those two were in the same room. Veronica was all about Fred, and Fred was all about her. Except, they could see that whatever the two of them had ran much deeper for Veronica than it did for Fred. 

Fred grabbed the pep-squad flyer from Lavender. "What's this?" He asked as he looked at it. "Pep-squad?" 

Veronica felt very shy suddenly, knowing that Fred would tease her later about trying out for the team. 

He got an amused look on his face, "Are you gonna try-out?" He asked Veronica with a smirk. 

Veronica could see the intention behind his eyes. A blush came to her cheeks as she felt his fingers brush against her knee. He tilted his head cheekily at her and she chuckled nervously. 

"I've seen how flexible you are." He whispered so only she could hear, or at least he thought only she heard. His hand now gripped her thigh, to which Veronica gasped. 

"Okay, I'm leaving," Ivy said as she tried not to gag. 

Hermione nodded in agreement as they grabbed their things. Both of them not wanting to watch the display in front of them anymore.

Veronica snapped out of it and looked at them. "Oh, Lavender and I should go too." She moved Fred's hand from her thigh and got up with them. 

Fred looked at her with disappointment and she gave him a warning gaze. He grabbed her hand suddenly, "Actually, Vee, I needed your help studying in the library." 

Veronica knew what "studying" was code for. And the awful thing was that she was going to go with him instead of her three friends.

Hermione grew annoyed with him. She grabbed Veronica's other arm and pulled her away from Fred with a glare. "Ask one of your friends." She snapped. 

The four girls walked towards the door, Hermione dragging Veronica. Veronica shrugged at Fred as they left, getting one last glimpse of him before Hermione slammed the door behind them. 

"Veronica Vandenberg, I don't know what is going on with you and Fred, but on Merlin, it needs to end now," Hermione said as she, Ivy, and Lavender stood around Veronica. 

Veronica froze and looked at them with guilty eyes. She immediately thought of how Ivy must've told them. "Nothing is going on." 

"Oh, save it. I know you've always fancied him, but I can tell that whatever is going on is not healthy. Now, tell us right now." Hermione demanded. 

Veronica figured it was no use. They obviously already had an inkling of what was happening. She figured she should tell them instead of hiding it any longer. 

She sighed, "I know what I'm doing, okay?" She said simply. 

Ivy rolled her eyes. She knew a year ago when Veronica told her about what happened with Fred that it meant nothing good. But she didn't think that Veronica would go on to pursue a relationship with him. Personally, she didn't trust Fred with her friend's heart. She'd heard the stories, she'd seen the havoc he'd wreaked on not only Gryffindor girls, but Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin girls too. And she didn't want him around Veronica.

"Veronica, he's a player. Come on, you're smart than this." Ivy grabbed her shoulders. 

Veronica was starting to get angry with them. What did they know? And what made them think that they had the right to tell her about her life choices? It's not like any of them knew about romance. 

She pushed Ivy's hands from her, turning to Lavender. "Lavender, back me up here." 

Lavender looked down nervously. Veronica shook her head impatiently, waiting for the hopeless-romantic to say something in her defense. But the way Lavender saw it, Hermione and Ivy were right. 

"Roni, I just think it will end badly for you." She said truthfully and Veronica scoffed. "Listen, please... Think of all the girls we've seen crying over him, all the girls he's used. Fred is a good friend, but a terrible lover. There are other boys here, nicer boys. Boys that will treat you the way you should be treated. Ones that won't try to hide your relationship from the world." Lavender rambled. 

Veronica groaned in annoyance, "Can you all just mind your own business?" She snapped. 

The three other girls looked at their friend in shock. Veronica couldn't see that they were only trying to help her. She just saw three people trying to ruin something that made her happy.

She scoffed, "I'll see you guys in class." She said and then walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the way i literally included this in my script because i was watching "dare me" on netflix. 
> 
> really good show, you guys should check it out. 
> 
> but anyways... yes, hogwarts is getting a pep-squad in this story and i am so excited to see the direction this takes us and veronica.
> 
> okay, until next time <33


	6. 2– The Top Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy, Lavender, and Veronica try out for the pep-squad; Fred begins to feel insecure in his and Veronica’s relationship.

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender didn't know what to do. 

Lavender hoped that pep-squad would take Veronica's mind away from Fred. And Ivy agreed to try-out for the team too if that's what it took. 

Hermione pushed for her to try and make it into the Slug Club, A.K.A Horace Slughorn's exclusive group of students that he found exceptional. But Veronica didn't seem to want to be bothered by that either. 

They soon realized something that Veronica had yet to even realize herself. 

Veronica was in love with Fred. 

She always had been. 

None of them found anything wrong with her being in love. But the problem was that she was so in love that she couldn't see what Fred was doing. They knew that he had no intention of ever committing to Veronica. They knew that he didn't care about her as much as she cared about him. But Veronica couldn't see it. And every time they tried expressing this to her, she'd get upset and go right to him. 

So, they figured she'd just have to learn the hard way. 

It was try-outs day, and Ivy and Lavender were praying that Veronica would make the team. Maybe then, she'd remove herself from the Weasley boy. 

Hermione sat in the stands with Harry and Ron, who were there just to look at the other hopeful girls trying out. 

Veronica wasn't feeling hopeful at all. She was fed-up with her friends, stressed by school, and most of all, she was growing impatient with Fred. 

Was it silly of her to think that by now he would have realized that she was the only person he wanted? Was it silly of her to think that this arrangement was only temporary? Because that's how she felt. 

Lavender placed her hand on Veronica's shoulder, handing her one of the try-out numbers. "Hey, you alright?" She asked her. 

Veronica nodded, "Yeah, I'm just cold." She lied. 

"Yeah, you're cold. They've got us wearing these stupid skirts in thirty-degree weather." Ivy complained. 

Veronica laughed, looking down at the striped sweater, white tennis shoes, and warrior skirt she had on. They all had the same thing on, except each house had on their respective colors. 

She placed her number on the right side of her chest like everyone else. 

#7

She took a deep breath in and sat down next to Ivy and Lavender. Professor Burbage was preparing to speak. 

Professor Burbage was happy to see that Veronica was there. The girl's father had expressed his concern about his youngest daughter to Charity on several occasions. He often told her of how Vera and he worried that she'd never find a career for herself after Hogwarts. So seeing Veronica there brought a smile to her face.

"Alright, girls, up and at 'em!" Professor Burbage clapped and all the girls stood at attention. Veronica eyed Ivy, who shrugged with an amused expression. 

"Okay, if you don't already know me, I'm Professor Charity Burbage and I'm the Muggle Studies teacher here at Hogwarts. This pep-squad is something that I brought to Hogwarts with me '94 when I started teaching here. I studied at Oxford for a few years and was a flyer on their pep-squad. And now, I'm giving all of you a chance to explore the wonders of the cheerleading world." Professor Burbage stated as she held her clipboard to her chest. 

Veronica could feel Lavender's excitement radiating from her. 

"Now, line up so I can assign you stunt positions." Burbage snapped her fingers and all the girls scurried into a straight line. 

Veronica stood between Ivy and Lavender. She looked down the line, seeing all the girls standing straight up with their chests pushed forward. Veronica sighed and looked straightforward again. She realized that even though she wasn't sure how much she wanted to be there, she was sure that she wanted to be good at it. And if she was trying out, then she was going to do her best. 

Burbage went down the line and started assigning girls their roles. She neared the three friends and Veronica became nervous. Lavender had taught her and Ivy all the terminology they needed to know, and they'd all taken a potion that would increase their flexibility that morning at breakfast. And yet, Veronica felt unprepared. 

Burbage stopped at Lavender, "Brown, show me your arabesque." She said firmly. 

Lavender cleared her throat and placed her arms in an L-shape, turning to the side. She lifted her leg behind her and smiled a flashy smile. Her standing leg wobbled slightly as she struggled to hold the position. "Tighten up, Brown," Burbage instructed. 

Lavender stumbled out of the arabesque, causing a group of girls on the far end of the line to laugh—Pansy Parkinson being one of them. 

Burbage shook her head, "Base." She said, writing something down on her clipboard. 

Veronica was next. She straightened up immediately, keeping her eyes on Burbage. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about where Burbage might place her. 

Burbage looked Veronica up and down with an intrigued look. Tapping her pen against her chin, she turned her attention to Ivy, completely skipping over Veronica. 

Veronica recoiled in shock at how Professor Burbage just walked past like she wasn't even there.

"Parkinson, come here and get lifted by the other Parkinson," Burbage called down to Pansy. 

Everyone was interested to see how it would play out. To Veronica's knowledge, Ivy and Pansy hadn't spoken since Ivy "disgraced" the Parkinson's name by being sorted into Gryffindor. There was definitely tension between the estranged sisters. 

Pansy walked towards Ivy, swaying her hips confidently. Ivy crossed her arms as she looked at her sister. The two of them were staring daggers into each other. Veronica looked at Lavender, who gave her a worried stare. 

Pansy stood in front of Ivy, and Ivy placed her hands on her waist to prep. Burbage counted them off and Ivy lifted Pansy into the air. "Hold her up, Parkinson!" Burbage said. 

Veronica watched as Ivy held her sister in the air with an annoyed look on her face. She silently wondered why Burbage skipped over her in line. Did she take one look at her and think, "no"? Or did she have no idea where to place her? 

Ivy set Pansy down and Burbage clapped, "Nice, Ivy. You'll do great as a back spot." 

"No thanks to you though." Ivy snapped at Pansy. 

"It's not my fault that you weren't holding me right." Pansy retorted. 

Ivy rolled her eyes and took her place next to Veronica again. Pansy walked back down the line to her spot. 

Ignoring the two bickering sisters, Burbage turned back to Veronica and smiled, "Veronica, show me your arabesque please." She asked the brown-skinned girl. 

Veronica blinked rapidly, taken aback by her abrupt change in attention. Burbage nodded for her to go ahead. Veronica turned her body to the side, placing her arms in the same L-shape that Lavender did earlier. She slowly lifted her leg behind her, holding in her stomach to support her. 

Veronica's arabesque was perfect as far as form went. But her arabesque was only that way because it came naturally to Veronica. Burbage was pleased, but she wanted to be wowed. Veronica was not wow-ing her in any way. In fact, her presentation was quite boring.

"How about your scale?" Burbage asked next.

"Um," Veronica remarked, feeling unsure of her abilities. 

"Come on, Vandenberg. You won't make the team by wasting my time." Burbage said firmly. 

Veronica sighed, looking at Hermione, who was still in the stands. Hermione nodded at her encouragingly, offering her a kind smile. 

She bent her knee and grabbed her foot behind her. Then she bent forward, pulling her leg up and squaring her hips. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to steady herself. Her standing leg tightened beneath her as she fully extended her working leg. She lifted her free arm and looked at Burbage. 

Burbage nodded in approval, "Now smile." She instructed. 

Veronica's jaw locked, the position becoming harder to hold with each passing second. Her hamstrings burned as they stretched to their fullest ability. The pressure of holding her arm up making it hard to breathe. She curled her lips into a smile, trying to emulate Lavender's demeanor. 

"Good, you can come down," Burbage said. 

Veronica came down immediately, letting out a breath of relief. 

She had a lot to work on. Presentation and passion were definitely on the list, though she could see in Veronica's eyes how much she wanted to be on that team. But Burbage figured she wasn't hopeless. She was determined to make Veronica the best that she could be. And with more practice and more confidence, she knew that Veronica would be a great addition to the team.

~

Two hours later, Professor Burbage had made her decisions. She picked twelve girls out of the twenty-four that tried out, making it a full and proper team. 

Veronica was ready to be disappointed. Though she figured she wouldn't be that disappointed since she wasn't sure how much she wanted to be there. But she would have been lying if she said that the idea of being on the pep-squad, wearing the uniform, and basking in all the glory didn't sound amazing. 

"When I call your number, please step forward," Burbage announced. 

Lavender grabbed Veronica's hand and squeezed it nervously. Veronica looked down at her and pulled her into her side in a hug. She rubbed Lavender's arm reassuringly, though she didn't understand why she was nervous. Lavender was a shoo-in. 

"Twenty, twenty-three, thirteen, nineteen, nine, three, eleven, twelve, twenty-two, sixteen, two, and twenty-four. If you would all please step forward." Burbage called out. 

Veronica felt her heart drop immediately. She didn't know why, she didn't even really want to be on the team. She was there for Lavender to begin with, who she knew had to be ten times more upset than her at that moment. 

She and Ivy shrugged at each other, both of them somewhat disappointed. But Veronica was happy for the girls that did get picked. Being on the squad was an honor and they had worked for it. 

"Thank you all for coming out today, but unfortunately I can't offer you a spot on the team at this time. I'll be picking alternates and those will be posted by the end of next week." Burbage told the twelve girls that stood ahead of the ones that hadn't been called. 

Lavender gasped, "Oh my God." She said quietly as the other girls headed towards where their bags were. 

Veronica was frozen, not sure if everything happening was real. She felt Lavender jump up and down excitedly next to her. Ivy was shaking her arm in disbelief. 

Burbage turned to the remaining twelve girls, "Congratulations, welcome to the team." She set into her hip with a smile. 

A smile grew on Veronica's face as she wrapped her arms around her two friends. She looked up in the stands at Hermione, Ron, and Harry. The three of them clapped for the new members on the team, but mostly for Ivy, Lavender, and Veronica. 

All the girls in the line erupted in celebration. "Quiet! Quiet! We aren't finished just yet. Don't you all want to know what positions you'll be in?" Burbage raised her brow at them and they all said yes in a chorus. 

"Okay, I'm only saying this once so listen up." She looked at the paper on her clipboard. "For back spots: Millicent, Ivy, and Tracey." 

Ivy looked at Lavender and Veronica with an indifferent expression. As long as she didn't have to spot Pansy, she didn't care what position she was in. 

"Bases are gonna be Lavender, Daphne, Tracey, Hannah, Mandy, and Lisa." Burbage continued. "And my flyers are Pansy, Isobel, and Veronica with Veronica as the top-girl." She finished. 

Veronica's eyes widened and Ivy chuckled excitedly. Lavender playfully hit her arm, "Roni, you made top-girl!" 

Pansy scoffed immediately, "I'm sorry, what? She can't be top-girl! She's a giraffe!" Pansy complained, stepping out of line, causing some of the girls to laugh. 

Veronica felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment at the sound of their chuckles. Professor Burbage noticed and wasn't going to tolerate Pansy's behavior.

"Parkinson, back in line!" Burbage demanded. 

"But she's too long for a flyer!" Pansy stated. 

"Get back in line or you're off this squad." Burbage threatened. 

Pansy glared at Veronica, who already felt insecure about the position she was given. She rolled her eyes and took her spot next to Daphne and Millicent again. 

Lavender somewhat agreed with Pansy. How was anyone supposed to lift Veronica into the air? Yes, she was lithe and light. But she was also 5'9 with long legs she couldn't control. Whatever Burbage was trying to do, she was interested to see the result. 

"Now, you all need to realize that you're are all on a probationary status on this team. I've already got seventh years on this team that won't tolerate that behavior, I won't tolerate that behavior." Burbage said as she moved down the line, stopping at Pansy. 

She looked at the black-haired girl firmly, "So watch your outbursts, and mind how you carry yourselves." She said directly to Pansy. 

Pansy raised her chin at Burbage challengingly. She had a sly smirk on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Burbage wished she didn't have to put that foul girl on the team. But she knew it would be biased to keep her off with how exceptional she was at cheering. Ability trumped attitude that day. But if Burbage could find a way to get that girl off the squad, she wouldn't hesitate. 

Burbage smiled at her passive-aggressively and moved away from Pansy. "As long as you all realize that, it should be a good season. You're all dismissed." 

Veronica let out a breath and looked at her two friends. She hated that she was so excited to be on that damn squad. But she couldn't help it. 

Top-girl. She thought. 

Finally, she had something she could be proud of. Her parents had something to be proud of. 

Vance and Vivienne were the ones her family always gloated about. Vance was the breakout Ministry worker, who somehow made it into close quarters with the Minister. Vivienne was the quidditch star of the Ravenclaw team. And Veronica was... Veronica. 

That's all she was. She was just there. 

But this meant something. This was an accomplishment. No more would she disappoint her family. She was on that team and she was going to show everyone what she was capable of. By the end of the season, no one would ever doubt what she could bring to that team. Not Pansy, or her friends, or anyone whose face scrunched in disapproval when Burbage announced her as a top girl. 

That was the thing about Veronica. 

She didn't want many things. But when she decided that she did want something, she didn't know her limits. 

~

Veronica collapsed onto Fred's bed next to him, "Oh, you should have seen Pansy's face. If looks could kill, I would have been slaughtered." Veronica chuckled. 

She was laid on her back, facing the ceiling as she mused about her new status on the pep-squad. She figured that Fred probably wasn't listening, but she was mainly talking for herself and not him. 

But Fred listened to every word of what she was saying. He laid next to her with his hand propping his head up. As she spoke, he just watched her, brushing her hair out of her face and playing with her gold necklace. He'd never seen her so excited about something. 

Her eyes lit up as she told him about her practice schedule, and uniform, and how she was eager to learn the routines. And even though Fred didn't fully understand what she was saying, he gave her his undivided attention. 

He was getting scared. He could feel himself growing attached to her. 

When he didn't see her, all he could think about was her. When he couldn't talk to her, he couldn't wait until the next time he got to. 

He'd become anxious when they were apart. His stomach would turn in knots and his heart would beat so fast that it felt like he was having a heart attack. He couldn't eat anything as a result, and because of that, he was underperforming in quidditch. 

And when he'd try, even for just a second, to not think about her, he'd see those hazel eyes that always had a hint of uncertainty in them. He'd feel her soft skin against his fingers. He'd feel her warmth against him like she was right there. 

But then he'd realize that she wasn't. 

It was becoming about more than just pleasure for him, and he could feel it. 

But he didn't want to feel it. He didn't want to be attached to her.

It was clear that Vee wasn't attached to him from the way she practically ran from him in the hall the other day. He knew that she couldn't have been having the same issue as him. Whenever he saw her, she was all smiles. She never looked bothered by anything. 

Knowing that she didn't feel the same made it even more frightening for Fred. He wouldn't allow himself to be hurt. He couldn't allow himself to be hurt. 

So, he decided that he would take the power in the relationship back from her. 

"Come here." He said to Veronica. 

She looked at him and he was staring directly into her eyes. But she could see that he was looking past them rather than into them. 

She noticed how his skin was flushed and his hands shook as he brought them up to her hair now and then. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he struggled to swallow, his brows furrowing as if it were painful. 

Veronica, out of instinct, placed her hand on his chest. And when she did she felt a harsh pounding in him. 

Something was wrong, and she figured that she'd better go to him. 

She moved towards him, and his arms wrapped around her body immediately. He just wanted to hold her that night and nothing else. He just wanted to hold her one last time before he blew up everything they had. 

Veronica's ear rested against his chest, and his heart sounded like a dozen racehorses running through his chest. When her dainty hand placed itself on the nape of his neck, he closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. 

"Freddie, is everything alright?" She asked him. 

No, it's not. He thought. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. 

His silence was unnerving to Veronica. Had he decided that she wasn't worth all the sneaking around? Had she said something that off-put him? Or had he just figured out that he wasn't attracted to her like he thought? Maybe he realized that he didn't care about her. 

Whatever it was, Veronica felt a pit growing in her stomach. "Fred, won't you say something?" She asked again. 

"Let's try out this product that George and I have been working on." He changed the subject so quickly that Veronica got whiplash. 

She lifted, resting her elbows on his chest. "Fred, you can tell me if something's wrong. You know that, right?" She cupped one of his cheeks. 

Those eyes. Fred thought painfully. Those fucking eyes. 

They made him want to spill everything that he was holding inside to her. Their doe-likeness, their gold, almost triggered a catharsis in him. When he looked into them, he just wanted to bow his head and tell her what was plaguing him. 

But he didn't. 

"Vee, please. Let's just do this, can't we do this?" He begged. 

Veronica was going to get to the bottom of what was bothering him. But tonight, she knew that she needed to do this for him. Because she had a feeling that when she found out whatever was on his mind, she wouldn't like it.

~

Fred sat in the common room, a book in his hand. After Veronica left, he couldn't sleep. So, he decided to sit in the common room to do some extra reading. 

Around one o'clock in the morning, he heard footsteps coming from the girl's steps. He turned to see who was coming down. Who would be up that late? 

He closed his book, turning towards the steps. He hoped that maybe it would be Veronica coming down. Sometimes she'd come to his room in the middle of the night. Fred thought that it may have been one of those nights. 

But instead of Veronica coming down the stair, it was Katie Bell. Fred recoiled in shock, and so did she. "Oh, sorry. I thought I'd be the only one up." She shook her head nervously. 

Fred shrugged, "Yeah, me too." He said. 

Katie stood there in front of him, and Fred couldn't help but look at her in that way. She was wearing a thin camisole with nothing underneath and it was slightly see-through. The top put her full breasts on display to him. She had on shorts that stopped just beneath her bottom, showing off the underside of it. 

Katie gasped, "Oh goodness, what have you done to your hair? It's purple!" She asked. 

Fred hadn't even realized that the product he'd tried with Veronica earlier had taken effect. 

"Oh, it's this product George and I have been working on. Should wear off in about twenty-four hours." He cleared his throat as Veronica came into his mind suddenly. "So, what's keeping you up?" He asked her. 

She sat down close to him on the couch. Fred scooted away from her slightly as she leaned back. "I can't sleep, what about you?" She rested her head on the back of the chair. 

"Same here. I guess something must be going around." He struggled to make conversation. 

He tried not to look down, fearing that he may get distracted. Katie, however, kept getting closer and closer it seemed. She'd move so that she was leaned against him, or she'd touch him when she laughed at something he said, or she'd tap her knee against his absentmindedly. 

Katie had always had a crush on Fred. Ever since they'd been at Hogwarts, she had her sights set on him. She'd watched for years as he'd go through girls like the school went through DADA professors. But still, after all that time, she wanted him. Being alone with him was her opportunity. 

They sat in silence for a moment, both of them looking at their laps awkwardly. Katie thought of how to initiate something, while Fred tried to keep himself from looking at her in places he shouldn't. Katie bit her lip as she crossed her legs, brushing her hair off of her neck. Fred looked down for a second and saw the soft, translucent skin of her neck. He found it so inviting, so tempting to kiss at that moment. It reminded him of Veronica's skin a bit. 

Veronica. He thought. That's who I want. 

But Katie was testing him. Her every movement accentuated her hips, or her breasts, or her thighs. Her perfumey scent wafted into his nose as she pulled her hair up, but it was nothing compared to what Veronica's scent did to him. 

She could see that she had a strong effect on him. She praised herself internally, trying to not let it show on her face. Katie moved even closer. She was right against him now, and Fred tried leaning away from her. It was no use, Katie had decided she wanted him, and she was going to have him. 

Completely unaware of his relationship with Veronica, or that he was even attracted to her at all, she rested her elbow on the back of the chair. She placed her head in her hand, and she looked up at him. Fred smiled at her nervously, and Katie gave him a look of lust. Fred let his eyes travel downward for a moment. But a moment was too much. 

His eyes landed on her cleavage. It was right there in front of him, practically staring at him. Katie tilted her head at him with a seductive glint in her gaze. Fred's mind told him to stop staring at them, but everything else wouldn't allow him to tear his eyes away. Katie leaned into him, letting her hand caress his thigh. 

Katie saw entranced he was by her breasts. She almost chuckled at the dazed look in his eyes. "It's okay, I don't mind." She smirked. 

Fred's face was beet red as he tried to hold himself together, "Katie, I-"

She grabbed his hand and gently placed it on her right breast. Fred closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly as he sucked in a sharp breath. He could feel her warm flesh through her top. The texture of her erect nipple sent a tingling feeling down to his member. 

Katie leaned forward and kissed him on his neck. He felt like he should tell her to stop, but he wasn't thinking properly. He wasn't using his head at all. Instead, he was letting his body lead the way. 

He turned his head, wrapping his hand around her throat and hungrily kissing her lips. Katie's hand went to his arm and she pulled herself into him more. Their bodies grinded against each other as they both desperately tried to get some sort of relief. 

As he kissed Katie, he started to see Veronica. 

He saw her smiling that smile that he adored so much. He saw her underneath him, her hair sprawled out on the bed. Her eyes gleaming up at him like he was the best person in the world. She'd snicker at something stupid he said, or she'd run her hands along his bare chest. He could hear her sweet voice, the voice that was and had always been music to his ears. He could hear her telling him about her day and then asking about his. He could hear her moaning his name, asking for more. 

But the further he went with Katie, the more Veronica became a distant memory. She was becoming less vivid with each article of his clothing that came off. The only eyes in his mind were Katie's. The only moans he could hear were Katie's as he thrust into her. 

As he laid there next to her, completely spent, he thought of how good it felt to forget. Katie made him forget about whatever he felt for Vee. She made him forget his insecurities. And that made him feel good. 

Katie made him feel good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gosh, that last part was so hard to write. 
> 
> i didn't want to write detailed smut between katie and fred because like... uhhh... i love my girl vee.
> 
> but i don't wanna see any hate comments against katie, okay? like, hear me right fucking now when i say that she is certainly not a villain in this story. just like lavender was never a villain in ron and hermione's story. i'm not gonna be like jk rowling and paint katie as the villain just because she has a crush on someone that someone else just so happens to be crushing on too. it's life, guys. people crush on the same people. it doesn't mean that someone has to be a villain. 
> 
> i had a situation when i was a sophomore (i'm a junior now) where a guy who was older than me ended up leaving me for a girl his age after using me. and even though i was so hurt, i couldn't bring myself to hate the girl he left me for because it just wasn't her fault. and that's how i see the vee/fred/katie dynamic, as a lot of the stuff in this book is based off of my personal life.
> 
> now, just like anyone, these girl's thoughts may reveal insecurity or resentment towards one another. but nothing that will ever paint someone as an antagonist. 
> 
> so in conclusion, DON'T HATE ON KATIE. 
> 
> okay bye-bye, my loves. 
> 
> until next time <33


	7. 3– Purple Pygmy Puff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred can’t seem to speak his thoughts to Veronica; Tensions rise as Veronica’s circle starts to notice her increasingly errant behavior.

WARNING!!!: mature content ahead involving sexually explicit scenes.

"Oh, bloody hell." Were the first words Veronica heard when she came into the common room the next morning. 

The new product that Fred wanted them to try together turned out to be some type of hair coloring potion. Except Fred and George hadn't perfected it yet, so Fred and Veronica were stuck with purple hair the entire day. 

Ron looked at Veronica in disbelief. She held her hands up in surrender and sat next to Harry, who also couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What in God's name have you done to your hair?" Harry chuckled.

"It's just for today. Look," She pointed to her hair, "I even tried straightening my hair to make it look better." She told them.

Harry chuckled, "It does clash with your robes a bit, but it's a nice look on you." He teased and she hit his arm playfully.

"Blame your brother." Veronica pointed at Ron. 

"Hanging out with Fred again, I see." Ron gave her a suggesting look. 

Veronica didn't meet his gaze. How could anyone know about her and Fred? They'd been so careful, and yet it seemed as if everyone knew. Maybe Hermione had told Ron and Harry. But other than that, how could they guess such a thing? 

"Are you two a thing or not?" Harry asked. 

Veronica snickered, "Definitely not." She shook her head. 

Harry nodded at her suspiciously, side-eyeing Ron. Ron cleared his throat, "It's just... You two went from barely speaking to best friends. What changed?" He asked. 

Veronica was getting tired of everyone questioning her. So far this year, she felt like she was being interrogated all the time by everyone except Fred. Why couldn't everyone just let her be? It was her life and so what if she was seeing Fred? It wasn't their business anyway. 

She stood up, "I've gotta go put my practice clothes in the locker room." She excused herself. 

As she walked away, Ron shook his head in disappointment. He loved Fred, he was his brother. But because Fred was his brother, Ron knew him better than everyone else—excluding George. He knew how his brother was with girls. And he didn't much mind until he suspected that Fred and Veronica were seeing each other. Veronica was his friend, and he wouldn't let her be subjected to Fred's antics. He knew he had to talk to George about his suspicions soon. Maybe George would get Fred to do the right thing and let Veronica before he hurt her. 

Veronica made it out to the steps and that's when the staring started. She winced internally as everyone whispered about her hair. She felt like pulling her hood over her head. If she could have, she would have buried herself in the ground right where she was. 

She walked past Daphne, Millicent, and Pansy. Pansy smirked tauntingly at her crosses her arms. Veronica ignored her, knowing that she was jealous about what happened at try-outs. They had their first practice today, and Veronica could see that it was going to be a long year. 

Veronica started tuning everyone out. Her hair was going to look like that the whole day, so she was going to wear it proudly. Though she was praying every second for Ivy or Lavender or Hermione to show up. 

She saw Vivienne with her friends nearby. When Vivienne noticed Veronica's hair, she nearly screamed. She excused herself from the group and made her way towards her sister. 

"Oh, Roni, what have you done now?" She asked as she took a strand of Veronica's hair in her hand. 

"It'll wear off by tomorrow." Veronica sighed. 

Vivienne snorted, "Alright, you little purple Pygmy Puff." Vivienne teased and Veronica slapped her hand away. 

"I saw that Fred has his hair the same. He told me to tell you that he's looking for you." Vivienne pointed out. 

Veronica held back her blush at the mention of his name. She wanted it to be completely unknown to Vivienne. You see, Vivienne was always known to be a bit of a snitch. If Vivienne thought that Fred was even looking at Veronica, she would have told their father. 

"Oh, I don't know why. Probably something about potions." Veronica lied. 

Vivienne nodded, but she knew it was more. If Veronica thought she was being secretive, then she was horrible at it. Vivienne found it laughable how bad both Fred and Veronica were about hiding their relationship. But she had no intention of telling their father for the sole reason that she didn't want to see his reaction when he found out. 

"Oh, there he is!" Vivienne pointed. "God, you can see that hair from a mile away. As if he wasn't already obvious enough." She rolled her eyes at him. 

Veronica could barely focus on what Vivienne was saying. She was mesmerized by him yet again. Unable to think, speak, or move in his presence. 

He was on the steps talking to George and Lee, to no surprise, and he was also with Cormac McLaggen and Katie Bell. She didn't know why, but she felt a pit grow in her stomach when she saw Katie next to Fred. It was stupid and immature, she knew that. She loved Katie, she was great. But something about their body language towards each other made Veronica's head go to a negative place. 

"I'll see you later, okay?" Vivienne asked and Veronica nodded at her with a smile. 

Veronica and Vivienne went their separate ways. Veronica made sure she walked past Fred so that he saw her. 

When Fred saw her purple hair out of the corner of his eye, he perked up. There she stood, waiting for him at the end of the hall. His heart swelled at the sight of her smile. "Hey, I'll catch you guys later." He dismissed himself. 

He locked eyes with her, jogging down the steps. Veronica took her bottom lip between her teeth and he felt butterflies invade his stomach.

Veronica started down the hallway towards the locker rooms. She stayed a good distance ahead of him so they didn't look suspicious. Fred tucked his hands into his pockets as he followed her, a smirk playing on his lips. She looked back at him now and then with a teasing gaze. 

The locker room was empty when she got there. She set her bags down on one of the benches and waited for him. 

A few moments later, Fred closed the door behind him. Veronica took her robes off as she heard him whisper, "Colloportus."

She placed her hands behind her back and swayed from side to side as she saw him come to the aisle she was in. She chuckled at the sight of his purple hair. "Oh, this is definitely your color." She teased. 

Fred rolled his eyes with a smile, "Haha, very funny. How was I supposed to know it would turn our hair purple?" He stepped towards her. 

"I don't know, it's your product." She crossed her arms over her chest. 

Fred hummed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "I'm sorry, by the way. Though, I do like this look on you." 

Veronica let out a light chuckle as he placed a kiss on top of her forehead. He held his lips there for a long while, closing his eyes. 

Veronica's hands ran down his back lovingly. He pulled away and looked at her again. She was gazing up at him with anticipation and awe, her lips in their usual sensual frown. He wished he could see into her brain and see what she was thinking, and Veronica wished the same about him. 

He hadn't been looking for her that day for sex. He had something he needed to tell her. Something would ruin the relationship they had. 

You see after Veronica left his room the night before, Fred caught Katie Bell in the common room alone. Katie had always had somewhat of a crush on Fred. So when she had her shot with him, she took it without hesitation. 

He was scared of what he was feeling for Veronica. So he thought that maybe spending time with Katie would make him forget about his feelings. 

"Vee, I-"

Before he could speak, Veronica lifted on the balls of her feet and attached their lips. Fred froze for a moment, taken aback slightly. But as their lips melded together, he couldn't resist her. 

His hands gripped her bum harshly. He furrowed his brow as he deepened the kiss. Veronica moaned into his mouth, the backs of her shoes slipping off her heels. 

He pulled her skirt up slightly. The cold air hitting her exposed bottom. She pulled away from the kiss and looked at him. "Let me take care of you today." She said breathlessly. 

He couldn't say no to her, not to Veronica. He'd never been able to. So as she got her knees in front of him, he forgot about what he needed to tell her. 

Veronica looked up at him innocently as she unbuckled his belt. Fred's chest heaved up and down. Hooking her fingers around his waistband, she slowly pulled his trousers and boxers down. Fred grunted as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

His shaft sprung out of his bottoms, hitting his lower stomach. Fred winced in pleasure as he ached for her. Veronica bit her bottom lip as she moaned with a slight smile. She looked at his member and brought her hand down to her sex. His veins pumped blood through him, his head was bright pink and begging. She still was surprised at his girth and size even after all that time. 

Fred took himself in his hand, using his other hand to pull her hair into a ponytail. He breathed heavily as Veronica opened her mouth for him. Her tongue stuck out slightly as her doe eyes begged him to shove himself into her willing mouth. He looked down and saw Veronica touching herself. He threw his head back, growing more aroused at the sight. 

Veronica teased her clit. She tried to mimic what Fred had done to her so many times before. It was no use though, as her desperate rubbing couldn't compare to the pure magic Fred created with his fingers. 

Fred gritted his teeth as he slapped his member on Veronica's cheeks. Never closing her mouth, she let out a throaty moan of delight. He tapped her cheeks on both sides repeatedly. Veronica felt butterflies building up inside of her. 

"You want me in your mouth, huh?" He asked her firmly and she nodded. 

He gripped himself, running his tip along her soft lips. Veronica savored the sweet taste of the pre-cum that he coated her lips in. 

"Look at you touching yourself. Everyone thinks you're so innocent, Vee. But they've never seen you like this." He said through shaky breaths. 

Veronica boldly rolled her tongue over his slit. Fred sucked in a sharp breath at the warm feeling against his cold skin. He tightened his grip on her hair and pulled her back. 

He could have teased her like that all day, but the need to feel her mouth around him was growing hungrier. He placed the tip on her tongue, hushing her as he brushed any stray hairs from her face. She sat up on her knees and wrapped her lips around his head. Fred moaned loudly as her mouth made a sucking noise around him. 

She moved back, taking him out of her mouth, only to take him even deeper.

Veronica looked up at him and sank her mouth further down his cock. Slowly but surely, she took as much of him as she could. She felt him hit the back of her throat, causing her to gag slightly. She kept her mouth there for a moment, her eyes on his now red face. 

Quickly, she pulled back and released him from her mouth. His shaft blushed on the part where her mouth was. It glistened with her saliva, and a line of spit connected her bottom lip to his tip. 

Her sweet moans were music to his ears. He couldn't think of anything except the feeling of her mouth on him. His vision was blurry as he felt her throat tighten then loosen to accommodate his size.

"Like that?" She asked genuinely.

"Yes, Baby, just bob your head on it." He said softly, having finally mustered up enough strength to speak.

Veronica nodded and leaned forward again. This time, she took him in her mouth faster. She tried to push past her previous spot to no avail, so she placed her hand on the rest of his member. She started moving her head up and down and Fred let out strained moans. Her tongue ran along the bottom of his shaft, and spit gathered at the corners of her mouth. 

Fred's moans became louder and Veronica felt him swell in her mouth. She closed her eyes as she tried to get him deeper into her mouth. She felt herself starting to get more aroused as she thought about how good she was making him feel. Fred wrapped her hair around his fist tightly. He pulled her hair so harshly that her scalp burned. 

Fred placed his other hand underneath her chin. He made her lips pucker against him, causing wet sounds to sound off in the room. "That's good, Baby." He grunted. 

Fred thrusted his hips forward, causing tears to form in Veronica's eyes. His nostrils flared as he felt pleasure compounding in his cock. Veronica's throat burned in the most delicious way. The pain in her throat mixed with the arousal that raged in her sex. 

As Fred reached his orgasm, he lost all control over himself. He chased his high desperately. He pounded into Veronica's mouth relentlessly, his thrusts growing faster as he came closer. Veronica moaned against him and placed her hands on his bum for support. 

"Fuck, Vee," Fred grunted as he rammed himself into her mouth a final few times before he erupted. 

Veronica felt him spurt at the back of her throat. He screwed his eyes shut as he pulled her head down on him even further. Strings of ejaculation kept coming from him, filling Veronica's throat. She tried to swallow as much as she could with him still in her mouth. Fred grunted as he saw the semen that dripped onto her chin. 

Veronica took him out of her mouth completely, coughing loudly. A mixture of spit and Fred's come hung from her mouth. She leaned over to make sure none of it got on her school skirt. 

Fred wasn't finished with her just yet though. He pulled her up to stand. Veronica's body was shaking, but she wanted more. She wiped her chin and sucked on her fingers, not wanting an ounce of him to go to waste. 

He bent down and lifted her leg onto his shoulder. She bit down on her lip as he lifted the other one too. He was face-to-face with her core. He could smell her arousal and the scent intoxicated him. He stood up and pressed Veronica's back against the lockers. 

Her hands laced in his hair, its purple color reflecting on her fingers. Fred licked a long, agonizingly slow stripe up her folds. Veronica threw her head back and moaned. 

Fred harshly pressed his fingers into her thighs. Veronica's heart raced as Fred hungrily lapped at her core. He looked up to meet the poor girl's eyes, and she pushed his hair away from his eyes. "Fred, oh!" She moaned. 

Fred lifted his hand between them. The tip of his index finger teased her wet entrance. His lips wrapped around her clit and he sucked harshly. Veronica's body slouched as the pleasure started to become too much. The feeling of Fred's tongue moving against her clit, and his fingers running along her entrance started to cloud all her senses. 

The purple wisps of hair around her hairline stuck to the sweat on her forehead. Her chest glistened with his seed and her sweat. Finally, Fred pushed his index finger deep inside of her. She gasped loudly, her hand slamming down on the locker behind her. 

Fred smiled to himself against her core. He worked his finger in and out of her while he circled his tongue around her clit. His finger twisted with each push as her tightness stretched around him. He lifted his middle finger and pushed both fingers in on his next thrust. 

He felt himself stiffen again. She felt so tight around his fingers. Veronica let both of her arms rest behind her on the lockers. She bucked her hips up at him greedily. Fred moaned on her clit and started to push his fingers faster. 

"More please." She cried out. 

Again, Fred never was able to tell her no. 

He moved away from her core, locking eyes with her. Veronica groaned in frustration and thrusted her pelvis upward. Fred smirked, "Settle down, I've got you." He whispered, his breath tickling her. 

Veronica's head hung as she waited for him to continue. Fred kept his eyes on her as he brought his ring finger to swipe against the side of her entrance. Veronica looked at him impatiently. But Fred wanted to make sure that she was okay with everything he was doing. "Is this okay?" He asked. 

Veronica's stomach hollowed just from the light touch of his ring finger. She couldn't speak, so she nodded instead. 

Fred bit down on his lip as he slowly pushed his three fingers into Veronica's core. She cried out as she stretched to her furthest point yet. Fred was afraid that he might have been hurting her. Her face scrunched and her teeth gritted like she was in pain. 

"Vee-" He started worriedly.

"No, keep going!" She begged. 

She pulled his face back to her clit, and Fred happily obliged her. His fingers slowly worked back and forth. And though it did hurt a bit to stretch that far, Veronica wanted him to go faster. "Fred, faster please!" She begged. 

His tongue flicked at her bundle of nerves. He wanted to give her what she wanted, but he didn't want to hurt her. He felt like he was more worried about hurting her than she was. Veronica begged him repeatedly, desperate for him to hit that spot in her. 

It became easier for him to move in and out of her as her center became slicker. He pushed deeper each time he went in, looking for the spot he knew would make her scream. He curled his fingers upward and Veronica felt his fingertips tickle her on that sweet spot. She let out a sobbing moan and Fred knew that he'd found it. 

He let his fingers rub against her there. Her stomach contracted and stretched in a pattern. She threw her head back as his tongue and movements of his fingers mixed. The neat hair bun that sat at the bottom of her head was now a floppy mess of something between a ponytail and a bun. 

She felt her high approaching. The butterflies bundled at the bottom of her stomach. "I'm close." She said weakly. 

Fred hummed in acknowledgment. His fingers kept pushing against the spot relentlessly. Veronica cried out as those butterflies in her abdomen started to flutter through her body. Her toes curled and her fists balled up at that moment where everyone is their most primal. Her body shook against him as Fred slowed his motions. He kept going through her orgasm until he heard her cries quiet and her breaths calmed. 

Her hands went back to his head, her back hunching. Her heart rate started to slow as she came down. She felt him take his fingers out of her and she suddenly felt cold and empty. That's how she always felt when he left her in any way: cold and empty. 

Fred bent down and let her step down from his shoulders. She looked down at him with a smirk. Fred moved his hand to push one of the many loose strands of hair away from her face. Even though she was completely spent and messy, her hair as untamed and unruly as a wild jungle, Fred thought she was beautiful. 

Fred reached for her underwear and untangled them. He held them open for her to step into. Veronica placed her hands on his shoulders and let him pull them up for her. Once he was done, she bent forward and kissed him. 

He stood up again and pulled up his pants. She grabbed her things and looked at the clock. 

8:40 

Her eyes widened, "Oh shit! I've gotta go, I'm late!" She said as she headed for the door. 

Fred felt disappointment rise in him. He grabbed her hand, "Oh wait, don't leave yet." He said solemnly. 

Veronica was late for her Divination class. Even though it was just Trelawney, she hated being late for anything. "Fred, I've got to go. I'm twenty minutes late." She sighed. 

"Please? Can't you just skip? I hate when we have to leave each other like this." He pointed out. 

Veronica hated leaving him at all. Especially when he begged for her to stay just a couple of minutes longer. She wanted nothing more than to sit in the locker room with his arms wrapped around her. To feel his heart beating against her as he talked about whatever it was he found interesting. But she had to start learning to tell him no. 

"Look, I don't want to go, but I have to." She placed her hand on the back of his. She raised on her toes and pecked him on the lips again. "Come find me later, yeah?" She smiled. 

Fred looked down and nodded sadly. He was making it very hard to walk away from him which was his goal. He watched as she gave him one more smile before she was gone. 

Whenever Veronica left him it felt like a sudden drop in his serotonin. She always left so quickly. Her ability to leave him so easily made Fred even more insecure. That feeling he got when she left was what he was trying to protect himself from. Maybe it was good she left so suddenly, maybe he'd start to feel less attached.

A few minutes after she left, Fred heard someone coming out of the showers. His heart dropped immediately. He rushed to the middle of the aisle and saw Ginny trying to sneak out. She had a wide-eyed look and she was hunched over. 

Fred smacked his hand against his forehead, "Fucks sake. What are you doing in here?" He asked. 

Ginny stood up straight, "I-I had to put my things in here for practice." She said. 

Ginny had heard everything that happened between Fred and Veronica. She had been putting her practice clothes away when she heard Veronica come in. Thinking that Veronica was just putting her things away, she continued stuffing her locker. Then, when Fred came in she realized why they were there. She hid in the shower, staying silent the entire time as she tried not to throw up.

Fred was appalled, figuring that she must have heard everything that happened. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Het cursed at himself. 

"Relax," Ginny snickered, "I've known about you two for a while now." She said.

Fred looked at her with a confused expression. "She told you?" He asked. 

"No, Silly. I saw her leave your room after that party last year." She rolled her eyes. 

Fred couldn't believe that Ginny had known without telling anyone. If Ginny knew, then who else knew? Ivy, Lavender, and Hermione might have known too. God forbid that either of his brothers found out. And he was certain if Vivienne knew, his head would be on a spike. 

"Why didn't you just leave?" He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Ginny scoffed, "In case you didn't notice, you locked the door, you git. Would you have rather me come out when Roni was here?" She asked. 

Fred glared down at his little sister, not appreciating her sassy attitude towards him at that moment. Ginny nodded, "That's what I thought." She crossed her arms.

Ginny chuckled again, patting Fred's shoulder as she walked past him. "See you at practice, Brother." 

~

Veronica's last class was dismissed and she left quickly. She wanted a minute to be alone before pep-squad practice. She also needed an excuse to tell Burbage about her hair. 

Hermione ran up to her, "Roni, your dad told me to tell you that you need to come see him." 

Veronica sighed, "What is it now?" She stopped walking. 

Hermione saw that Veronica was a little bit irritable. She didn't have to guess why. It was because of him. She must have been with Fred earlier. It was funny, Hermione never resented Fred before. Not until she saw the extent of his hold over Veronica. All of her moods depended on him. If Veronica had been with him, she was rude towards everyone else. It was like everyone was her enemy except him. If she hadn't gotten to see him, she was depressed. She didn't want to see or speak to anyone that wasn't him. Hermione felt like she didn't even know her friend anymore. And for that, she resented Fred.

"I don't know just go see him." She shrugged. 

Veronica groaned and walked away from her, heading towards her father's classroom. Vivienne must have said something to him. She just hoped that it was something to do with the situation surrounding her hair. She prayed that Vivienne hadn't caught onto her and Fred and decided to tell their father. 

She got to the corridor where his classroom was. She saw him high-fiving all the first years as they left his class. It was something he'd always done for his students. No matter how badly they performed on their broom, he always left them with encouragement and kindness. 

Veronica pressed her lips in a firm line. She pulled her books to her chest as she stood there. Vaughn noticed her out of the corner of his eye and he looked at her. He dismissed his last student and then stood up straight with a sigh as he looked at his daughter. 

She looked down and made her way towards him. Vaughn stepped aside to let her inside. 

Vaughn had grown increasingly anxious over his youngest child. He knew that she was always different from Vance and Vivienne, but he valued that about her. But he feared that maybe her individuality was starting to get in the way of her success. 

He closed the door behind him so that no one would hear what they discussed. Veronica took a seat in the front row while he sat at his desk. She slouched in her seat and picked at her fingernails nervously. 

"Before I start, I just want to say that you're not in trouble. Okay? So, let's start there..." He raised his eyebrows. 

Veronica nodded, knowing that her father was never one to scold too harshly. 

"But Veronica, I-" He paused. "-I've gotta tell you that I am worried about you." He shook his head and Veronica rolled her eyes. 

Veronica scoffed. She knew that he would be having this talk with her sooner or later. But why? She was sixteen, wasn't she supposed to make mistakes? Wasn't she supposed to not have all the answers yet? 

"Professor McGonagall informed me that you still have yet to pick a career path. Professor Trelawney is now the fourth professor to tell me that you were late to their class. I need you to tell me what's going on with you so that I can help. What do we have to do to get you back on track?" He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. 

"Nothing is wrong with me. I wish everyone would stop treating me like there is." She rested her cheek in her hand.

He stood up, organizing some papers on his desk. "And now this- this hair... What is this, Roni?" He motioned to her hair. 

Veronica stayed silent, figuring no answer was better than saying something at that moment. Vaughn rested his hands on his desk, sighing sadly. He hadn't expected such an aloof response from his daughter. 

He looked down, "I'm gonna ask you something, and I want you to be honest..." He said. 

Veronica waved her hands for him to continue impatiently. Vaughn looked her in the eyes, "Veronica, is there something going on between you and that Weasley boy?" He asked her. 

Her blood ran cold. "You mean Ron?" She played dumb. 

"You know who I mean, Veronica. I saw that his hair was the same way as yours today. And do you think I would be here asking you about it if I thought you were seeing Ron?" He said harshly this time. 

Vaughn wouldn't have cared if she had set her interests on Ron. Hell, he would've been happier about George, as George didn't have the reputation that his twin did. Fred Weasley was not a boy that Vaughn Vandenberg approved of for his daughter.

Veronica had "guilty" written all over her face. She gulped nervously, unable to look at her father. "Why are you asking me this, hm? What does this have to do with anything?" She said indignantly. 

"I ask because I'm your father, Veronica. I think this relationship, or whatever it is between you two, is a distraction." He explained to her. 

Veronica couldn't believe it. Her father wanted to blame Fred? 

"You're doing poorly in your classes, not to mention that Hermione told me you've been acting differently-" Vaughn started but Veronica interrupted. 

"Hermione? That's why you're asking me about this? Unbelievable!" She stood up and started for the door. 

Hermione, her friend, had sold her out to her father. She was so angry that she couldn't even see straight. She would lay into Hermione as soon as she saw her. 

"Roni, wait! Listen to me!" Her father tried to stop her. 

Veronica turned around swiftly, "Don't! You know what? I'm tired of this! I don't want to choose a life of working for the Ministry in some stupid office, and now I'm being treated like some kind of Undesirable? Ridiculous!" She snapped at him. 

"I'm not saying that, Darling. I'm saying to just weed out some of the distractions in your life, that's all!" Vaughn tried to grab her hand but she pulled away.

"That's what it has to be, right? A distraction? There always has to be some reason. Well, here's your reason: I shouldn't have to make these big life choices when I'm only sixteen, and I won't!" She yelled at him. 

Vaughn had never seen her like that before. At that moment, he realized that this was what Hermione was talking about. Veronica was changing. That wasn't his daughter talking to him like that, it couldn't be. But it was, and that's what frightened Vaughn. 

Veronica shook her head as she continued to walk towards the door, "And nothing is going on between Fred and me." She slammed the door behind her. 

~

Veronica stomped into the common room. When she saw Hermione, she felt her blood starting to boil. 

Hermione was sitting between Harry and Ron, and across from Ivy and Dean. She saw Veronica and smiled at her at first glance. That is until she saw Veronica's angry eyes. She sat up with a worried look, "Roni..." She warned. 

Veronica came to her, "Really, Hermione? You just couldn't help it, could you? You just had to go run your mouth to my father." She snapped at the brown-haired girl. 

Harry, Ron, and Dean looked at Ivy. Ivy shook her head and shrugged as if to say, "don't look at me." 

Hermione stood up with a nervous chuckle, "Roni, it was the third time this week that you were late to class, okay? I had to tell him, I didn't know what else to do." Hermione tried placing her hands on Veronica's shoulders, but Veronica slapped her hands away. 

Hermione recoiled in shock, "Veronica!"

"Just stop, okay? Can't you ever just mind your business?" Veronica folded her arms over her chest. 

"I'm worried about you. I'm your friend, and I did what I thought was right for you. I thought if you wouldn't listen to anyone else, you might listen to your father. I guess I was wrong..." Hermione looked at Veronica with pain in her eyes. 

"Yeah, you were. You know why? Because you aren't my friend. If you were my friend, then you would stop trying to regulate me all the time and just let me do what I want." Veronica retorted. 

Hermione felt a lump rise in her throat at her words, "I'm not your friend, now? Roni, please listen to yourself." She was sad more now than anything. 

Veronica instantly regretted what she said to her. Yes, she was mad. But her anger didn't warrant that kind of expression towards Hermione. She didn't know what to say in response. She feared that instead of an apology, more harsh words would come out. 

Ivy looked at Harry and Ron, motioning for them to step in. She didn't want to make Hermione or Veronica feel like she was picking sides. She could see where Hermione was coming from. Veronica was changing and it was worrying. But she also understood that Veronica was upset that Hermione involved her father. 

Harry and Ron stood up finally. Ron grabbed Hermione and Harry grabbed Veronica. 

"I think that's enough," Ron said softly to them both as Harry nodded in agreement. 

Veronica let Harry pull her away from them. He led her to the steps to leave the common room. He looked back at Ron, who was pulling Hermione back down to sit. 

"Are you alright?" He asked Veronica. 

"No." She said quickly. 

He nodded, not knowing what else to do. He took her down to the Great Hall to get one of the pre-made meals for anyone that missed dinner. But what Veronica appreciated most was that he wasn't saying anything. He was just there for her, not scolding her or questioning her. That's what she needed in a friend. Not someone constantly on her back. 

Upstairs, however, Hermione was silently crying into Ron's chest. "She didn't mean all that, come on. She's just on edge right now, that's all." Ron reassured her. 

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "She'll come around eventually. You just have to give her space." 

But Hermione wasn't crying just because of what had just transpired. She was crying because she didn't know how else to help her friend. None of their efforts had worked so far. Veronica was just becoming more and more disagreeable. 

And what was worse was that Hermione couldn't even say that she saw an end to it in sight. She knew that this was only the tip of an iceberg and that the whole would soon approach in its ugliest way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say that i felt this was a very important thing to include in my story. 
> 
> harry potter gets most things right. but something it's lacking: the indecisiveness of teenagers. 
> 
> it's like jkr made it seem like every teen in this book knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives when they left hogwarts. but like... come on, that's so unrealistic. hell, i'm seventeen and on my way out of high school and i have absolute squat of an idea of what i want to do with my life. and while some teens do have their futures planned out, many of us have no fucking clue where we're going. 
> 
> and i felt it important to show that struggle in veronica. she's a person that never has anything goes as planned. and because of that, she doesn't really know what to do with herself. 
> 
> i'll leave it up to the original characters to have their lives planned out perfectly. but for my girl vee, she's gonna have a long way to go and hard places to fall. 
> 
> but it will work out in the end, i promise.
> 
> okay, until next time <33


	8. 4– The Most Powerful Force on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica seeks advice from a friend, followed by a tough conversation.

the chapter is super short compared to others, but probably one of the more important ones yet. 

Veronica woke immediately and wrote a letter to Fleur, the only person she knew wouldn't judge her for any of the things happening in her life. 

In her letter, she asked for help with making things right with Hermione first. Hermione and Veronica hadn't spoken since the incident in the common room. Both girls, stubborn as they were, refused to approach one another. Hermione also figured that since none of her previous efforts worked, she'd just give Veronica her space. 

Then, she told Fleur about Fred. Fleur was the only other person besides Ivy that Veronica had told herself. She knew that Fleur would know what to say. Fleur would be able to tell her what to do going forward with him. 

And a few days later, on October 20th (eleven days before Veronica's birthday), Fleur wrote back:

Dear Veronica,

First, I want to say how good it is to hear from you. I heard from Bill that you made the pep-squad, félicitations! 

I'm sorry that you're going through tough times right now, but I'll try to help to the best of my ability. 

I know that what Hermione did probably upset you. I don't like when people do things without my knowledge either. However, in this case, it sounds like Hermione thought she was doing what was best for you. I think she meant no harm in what she did. She saw you in what she thought was distress. I know if I thought my friend was struggling, I would do everything I could to help them. I think you should just talk to her. Try not to approach her in a hostile way. Try to come to her with your feelings in a way that will set up a conversation. 

Now onto the other thing, you wrote to me about. 

I'll be honest, Veronica. While I love Bill's family, I know in my time at Hogwarts that I heard his brother Fred had somewhat of a reputation with women. He is a nice boy in his heart, but I think that he is not good with women. I care about you and your feelings, I don't want you to be hurt. The kind of relationship you have is very high risk as far as protecting your heart goes. My honest opinion: End it before he hurts you past the point of fixing. 

I have to go now, but I hope you write again soon. If you have any more trouble, don't hesitate to tell me. Hopefully, we will see each other over the Christmas holiday. 

With love,   
Fleur Isabelle Delacour.

Veronica must have read over that letter twenty times at least. She kept trying to somehow change what Fleur had said about Fred. But she couldn't change it, just like she couldn't change who he was. Fred was a "womanizer" and he was notorious for breaking hearts. What made her think it would be different with her? 

During lunch, Fred had given her a slip of paper. It said to meet him outside of the common room once everyone went to sleep. 

She couldn't decide if she should or shouldn't meet him. She knew what "meet" meant. After Fleur's letter, she was so unsure of everything. Suddenly, she was starting to see what everyone else saw. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe her relationship with Fred wasn't healthy. Maybe it could only end badly for her as Fleur said. 

But she couldn't stay away from him. And that's how she found herself walking to the corridor at one o'clock in the morning to meet him. 

He sat on the windowsill with his head in his hands. Veronica couldn't help but start to feel nervous when she saw Fred like that. He looked stress, like something was bothering him. It worried Veronica, surely, but she realized that her worry was irrational. 

She quietly came next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder with a smile. Fred looked up at her with his tired eyes. When his eyes landed on her, he let out a breath as a smile came to his face. 

It was bittersweet for him to look at her. Knowing what he was about to do, it was hard to be near her. But he also relished in her presence every time he saw her. 

Fred stood up silently, and Veronica was unnerved by how quiet he was. He would only get that quiet when something happened, or when he was nervous, or when he was angry. She hoped that he wasn't angry, as he was so unimaginably frightening when he was. 

Fred pulled Veronica into his chest. He buried his nose into the top of her hair, closing his eyes. His arms wrapped around her tightly, so tightly that she wouldn't be able to pull away even if she wanted to. He breathed in her scent, figuring that it might be the last time he got to take it in for a long time. He could feel tears starting to form in his eyes as he held her. The energy of uncertainty that was radiating off her broke his heart. She had no idea what was going to happen, or why he was being this way. Fred felt like a monster in that sense. 

He pulled back, placing his hands on the nape of her neck. That's when Veronica saw the pain on his face. Her stomach dropped, but she didn't say anything still. Some part of her didn't want to know what was wrong, for she knew that whatever it was would hurt her more than him. 

With a strained breath, Fred leaned down and kissed her deeply. Veronica felt befuddled by his eagerness. She didn't know whether to kiss him back or not because it was abundantly clear that something was wrong. She couldn't find a proper place to put her hands, fearing that putting her hand in the wrong place would lead them in a direction that they shouldn't go.

Fred furrowed his eyebrows as he continued the tender kiss. A fire burned in his chest and spread swiftly to his throat and head. Her lips tasted even more delicious than usual, her skin was at its softest. Every single thing he adored about her seemed to be elevated that night. 

Veronica finally pulled away. She had to know now before she found out about it in an uglier way. "Fred, please." Is all she had to say. 

He knew that she could sense that he was upset. Trying to mask things in front of her was no use. The two of them had spent the last year so closely that they knew how to spot how the other was feeling. It was all their body language. Veronica had come to notice how Fred bounced his leg up and down when he was angry, and how he got quiet when he was anxious. Fred had come to notice how Veronica blinked a lot when her feelings were hurt, and how her cheeks turned crimson when she was angry. 

Fred let out a distressed sigh, "I need to tell you something." He said. 

Veronica's stomach flipped, but she didn't show it on her face. "Okay." She nodded, placing her hands on his biceps as she tried to smile.

Her eyes peered up at him, just making it harder to do what he needed to. He saw a small glimmer of faith in them. She still hoped that he would say something good, she still hoped that he wouldn't hurt her. But he could also see that she had an element of distrust in them that overshadowed that sliver of faith. 

"I- I..." He struggled against the growing lump in his throat. Veronica's brows pressed together, her smile fading slightly. "Vee, I had a night with Katie Bell." He finally said. 

Veronica shook her head in confusion, "Okay? I mean..." 

She was confused as to why it was so hard for him to tell her that. She knew that he had to have been with other girls in the past year. It wasn't in his nature to be monogamous. She had no false impressions that she was the only girl he'd been with for a whole year. She just thought that by now he would have realized that he only wanted her. 

"I want to pursue it further." He explained. 

As the words left his lips, Veronica knew what they meant. Fred wanted to date Katie. 

Katie Bell was the girl that would finally get Fred Weasley, the lady's man, to settle down. Not Veronica, but Katie. 

The fact pained Veronica. Suddenly, she was going back and scrutinizing every little thing she did. She looked for mistakes she may have made in their time together. For disconnects between them that Fred may have seen before she did. For anything that could offer her a reason, an explanation, as to why it would be Katie and not her. 

Was it that he found Katie to be prettier? Was it that Katie was older than her? Or worse: Maybe instead of realizing that he only wanted her as Veronica had hoped, he realized that he didn't want her at all. 

Veronica looked down between them as she cleared her throat. She had no words at all. "I don't- I don't..."

Fred felt something tugging at his heart as he saw the puzzlement and affliction growing on her expression. He saw her eyes wet with tears that she desperately tried to hold back. He felt awful, but not more awful than Veronica did. 

"I was going to tell you in the locker room, but then you kissed me and I wasn't thinking at all, Vee. You know I've never been able to tell you no, and-"

Veronica stopped him, confusion and now anger written all over her face. "You knew you wanted to tell me this in the locker room, and you let me..." She trailed off in disbelief. 

Fred looked down in shame, and she knew the answer. 

Veronica pulled her body away from his. Fred ran his hand over his face in frustration as Veronica stepped away from him. 

"Oh my God, I can't breathe." She said in a strained tone. 

Veronica felt gutted. He had used her even though he knew that he wanted to be with Katie. He just couldn't spare her that pain, he just had to selfishly soil her one last time. But he hadn't just used her in the locker room, he'd been using her the whole time. He never had any intention of fully making her his. It had all been in her head. All that time wishing and hoping that he'd come around one day, he'd just been using her and she'd let him. 

"I know I should have stopped it, but I couldn't, Vee. I just- I wanted us to be together one last time because I knew that when I told you that I might lose you." He stepped in front of her again, but she refused to look at him. 

He didn't know what to say to make anything better. There was nothing good about anything happening right then. She couldn't believe him, but she could. Why was she shocked? This was who he was, and this is what she put herself at risk for. 

She hid her face in her hands, a searing pain in her head. "And I came here against all my better judgment." 

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender had been right. Everyone had been right. And to think, she had been so rude to them, Hermione especially. She felt like she was going to be sick. 

Veronica rubbed her temples to relieve some of the pressure in her head. "Oh my God." She breathed out again. 

Fred bent down so that he could see her face. He felt his heart beating against his chest. His body was in chills all over as a thin film of stress sweat covered his forehead. He grabbed her arms and she was too upset to notice. "Vee, please try to understand." He begged. 

She did understand. She understood that he was careless. She understood that he had no regard for other people's feelings. She understood that he didn't think about his actions and how they would affect people. 

Veronica wanted to hurt him. Not physically, of course. But she wanted him to feel as bad as she felt at that moment. She wanted him to feel like he'd been gutted too. 

She looked at him dead on, "Oh, I understand completely. But here's what you need to understand: Whatever this is— whatever it was— is over. Out of respect for myself, and out of respect for Katie... It's over." She snapped at him. 

Fred couldn't say anything back. She was slipping from him and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He did this though, not her. He had ruined everything. He had made her feel used. Everything was on him.

Veronica scoffed at him, shaking her head. And yet, she still didn't hate him at that moment. As much as she wished she did hate him, she didn't. He stood there in front of her with an apologetic look on his face, and she tried her hardest to feel nothing but hate for him. But she realized that instead of hating him, she felt just the opposite. 

She loved him. 

That's why it hurt so bad. 

Loving him was her fault. Fred had never asked her to love him. She did that all on her own. How foolish of her to fall for someone so unattainable.

She finally walked away from him, unable to take anymore. Fred held onto her hand until he couldn't anymore, until she was out of reach. He didn't try to go after her, as he knew it would just make it worse. She needed to be away from him. 

She practically ran back to the common room, which was empty, thankfully. She didn't want him to see or hear her crying. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Though she didn't realize that Fred didn't want to see her cry ever. 

She ran up the stairs loud enough to wake Hermione. 

Hermione shot up in her bed and drew her wand in defense. With the increasing presence of You-Know-Who and his followers, she feared that someone may have broken into the castle. She heard the staggering steps growing closer to their dorm. Her anxiety grew as the door handle jingled. As the door opened, she readied herself to perform any kind of spell that would protect her and the other girls in the room. 

Veronica opened the door, finally letting her tears slip out of her eyes. Her head hung forward, so she didn't notice Hermione sitting up in her bed. 

Hermione lowered her wand as she recognized Veronica's fuzzy slippers that she always wore. She squinted her eyes to no avail in the dark room. When she heard Veronica sniffle, her face dropped. She looked at Veronica's bed, which she hadn't noticed was empty before. "Roni?" She called out. 

Veronica lifted her head up and finally saw her. She had no clue what to say to Hermione. What do you say to someone who you were so rude to for no reason? 

Veronica cleared her throat, "You were right." Is what she came up with. 

Hermione felt her heart sink. Veronica didn't have to tell her exactly what happened for her to know. 

The thing was: Hermione didn't want to be right. She hoped every day that for Veronica's sake that Fred would prove her wrong. She didn't want him to hurt her, but she knew deep down that he would end up hurting Veronica. 

Hermione saw Veronica's body start to shake as she cried. She looked at her friend sadly, patting the spot next to her. 

Veronica practically collapsed onto the bed once she got there. Hermione brought her into a hug as she tried to hush her. Veronica hid her face in Hermione's shirt as she cried silently. Her tears wet her pajama top, but Hermione didn't care right then. She only cared about the fact that something had hurt her friend. 

"I'm sorry, Veronica." She pulled the covers on top of them. 

Veronica couldn't let Hermione apologize. She was right about everything. And when she had tried to tell Veronica, she didn't listen to her. She just became irritable and defensive instead of opening her eyes and seeing the issue. 

"No, I'm sorry. You were just trying to protect me, and I was a total bitch. I didn't mean any of what I said." She sniffled. 

Hermione hushed her as she brushed Veronica's hair with her hand. "I know, It's okay." 

Veronica cried for what felt like hours. She couldn't seem to stop. She hated that she let her feelings get to this point. If only she had seen it sooner, if only she had written to Fleur sooner. Maybe she would have never fallen in love with him at all. 

She soon drifted to sleep. Hermione heard soft snores coming from her, and let out a breath of relief. Hermione was glad that she wouldn't be around Fred as much, as it wasn't healthy for Veronica. But she also worried about what was to come. 

If Veronica acted the way she did when she was away from Fred for just a few hours, Hermione feared she would spiral when she didn't have him at all.


	9. 5– Bitchcraft (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender try convincing a heartbroken Veronica to celebrate Halloween and her seventeenth birthday by going to a party.

also, for the sake of making the next two chapters interesting, let's pretend that everyone at hogwarts knows muggle pop culture. otherwise, the costumes would just be... not as awesome??

"I don't want to go, Lav," Veronica said as she sat on her bed. 

It had been about two weeks since Fred and Veronica had called it quits. She had never felt so broken by anyone. 

Her body felt like it was constantly being weighed down by some force pressing on her. The world was no longer this place of possibility in her mind. The sound of chatter in the hall no longer sounded sweet like it had before. Food no longer had its taste for her, so she was just going through the motions of eating. She couldn't close her eyes to sleep, because when she closed them for just a second even, he was always there. Even when she wanted to cry, she couldn't. The tears always threatened to come out but they never did. Every day it got a little bit harder to motivate herself to get out of bed, to go to her classes, to be around anyone. 

And when she was around people, she wasn't Veronica. 

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender noticed how she could neither grimace in pain or plaster a smile across her face. Most days she just sat there, a blank expression on her face the entire day. 

She couldn't even be herself during pep-squad practice. Professor Burbage started to wonder if she'd made a mistake by making her top-girl. With their first game just a week away, Burbage had yet to see Veronica improve on her showmanship. Her extensions, her flexibility, her jumps were all amazing. But nothing was happening in her face. Her face was so stoic that she didn't even show contempt for what she was doing. 

October 31st. Also known as Halloween, lesser-known as Veronica's birthday. 

Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender were all trying to convince Veronica to go to Blaise Zabini's Halloween party happening later. To cheer her up, Hermione even committed to going in a costume. But Veronica had no interest in going. For one, she just wasn't up to it with her current state. Plus, she knew that if there was a party then Fred would surely be there. Her, parties and Fred did not go well together. 

It wasn't that the girl hadn't seen him since that night in the corridor. Of course, she'd seen him, he didn't do anything conspicuously. She just tried to pretend he wasn't there. But she knew that to enjoy herself, she would have to be drunk. And when she got drunk, she couldn't tell him no. 

To the unsuspecting eye, Fred seemed to have moved on smoothly. It looked as if he hadn't missed a beat, or it looked that way to Veronica at least. But if you looked close enough, you could see that something afflicted him. 

Fred was affected by what happened too. He was consumed with guilt by what he did. Even though he'd been spending all his time with Katie, he still couldn't stop thinking about Veronica. 

He'd noticed how her light had faded. She wasn't herself anymore. She didn't laugh, she didn't speak, she wasn't alive. She was just existing. Fred knew that it was because of him. 

He wanted to talk to her all the time. Just pull her aside and tell her how sorry he was for hurting. To tell her that he missed her terribly, or that he wanted to be with her again. There were so many words, and there just wasn't enough time to say them. 

"Please, Roni. I think it'll be good for you to get out a bit." Ivy sat next to her. 

Veronica buried her face in her covers, "I don't want to get out, Ivy. I want to stay here and listen to the radio, and tell scary stories while we eat pastries that nipped from the hall." She said in a grumble. 

"That's no way to spend your seventeenth birthday." Hermione joined them on the bed. 

"Oh come on, not you too. You're supposed to be backing me up, Hermione." Veronica groaned. 

Hermione sighed, "I just think that to get out of this... funk, you need to have some fun. So, on this one occasion, I approve of us going to a party." Hermione explained. 

Funk? Veronica thought to herself. 

She wasn't in a funk. She was letting herself feel everything as she should. What was so wrong with letting herself feel? 

Veronica didn't feel like partying or going out would make her feel any less terrible. In fact, she felt that a raging hangover would make her feel worse. She appreciated her friends for trying to be there for her, but she just wanted to be allowed to feel the way she felt. 

"I just don't want to go." She reiterated. "Lav, aren't you doing that trick-or-treating thing for the first years again? Can't we do that instead?" Veronica begged. 

Lavender scoffed, "Yes, but it ends at eight, and Blaise's party starts at nine." She explained. 

Veronica whined, "Do we even like Blaise? Isn't he like a blood purist?" She narrowed her eyes. 

"He'd be alright if he didn't hang around Malfoy so much." Ivy rolled her eyes. 

Hermione placed her hand on Veronica's shoulder. She felt terrible for the Vandenberg girl, and she hated that Fred had just moved on like it was nothing. "Roni, I mean, what's the harm in going really? We'll dress up, and we'll eat, and we'll dance. It'll be a ball." She tried encouraging her. 

Veronica sat up, her hair hanging in a curtain in front of her face. She huffed, "Because he'll be there." She finally said. 

Her voice cracked as she said it. She could barely think about him without feeling a burning pain in her chest. When she thought of him it was like getting her heart ripped out all over again. She couldn't even say his name because it was too hard. 

She dropped her head back down on the mattress with a groan, trying to mask her watering eyes. Hermione eyed Ivy and motioned for her to say something. But Ivy didn't know how to comfort Veronica. This was not something she had ever experienced with Dean in their whole relationship. So, she didn't know if she was the best person to give advice. 

Ivy sighed, "Look, sitting at home isn't gonna do anything, Roni. He's living his life, going out, succeeding at quidditch... And here you are, letting yourself get cock-whipped? No way, absolutely not." Ivy grabbed Veronica's arms and pulled her off of the bed. 

Veronica's slumped body fell right off of the bed. She hit the ground harshly, her eyes widening in shock. Lavender gasped and looked at Ivy like she was deranged, Hermione's reaction not too different. Ivy stood above Veronica with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Ivy, what the fuck?" Veronica sat up. "You could've broken my rib, you lunatic." She snapped. 

Veronica watched as Ivy went to Veronica's dresser and took out the angel costume Lavender made for her. She looked at Hermione with a somewhat fearful expression, and Hermione shook her head. Veronica pushed her messy hair out of her face with an angry look as Ivy stomped back over to her. The two witches stared at one another, Veronica waiting for whatever crazy thing Ivy would do next.

Ivy rolled her eyes, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, get your ass up, and go put on your costume — which Lavender took a lot of time to make for you." She said as she threw Veronica's costume at her. 

Veronica didn't flinch as the white, silky material hit her. She gave Ivy a death glare and snatched her headpiece out of her hands harshly. "Alright, gosh." She breathed out. 

Lavender clapped as Veronica stood up, placing her costume on her bed. Veronica figured that she didn't have to stay very long. She would just make an appearance, have a drink or two, cordially accept a few "happy birthdays", and then would be on her way. She would also do her best to avoid Fred. 

"I'm taking a shower first though," Veronica said as she went into their shared bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Ivy stood there with a proud expression. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully, "Did you have to drag her from the bed?" She chuckled and so did Lavender. 

Ivy threw her hands up defensively, "She wasn't getting up any other way, so I made her." 

~

Lavender and Veronica stood with Professor McGonagall and few other Gryffindor students, handing out the last of the candy they had to the remaining first years. Veronica was dressed as an angel, while Lavender had decided to go the cowgirl route that year. Hermione and Ivy didn't join them for the first year's celebration. Ivy, because she just didn't like kids. And Hermione, because she had to figure out a last-minute costume.

They had just ten minutes left before the first years would be sent to bed. Halloween was the one night of the term where the teachers didn't try to stop any of the celebrations that the older students planned. Instead, they made sure that all the students in year one were in bed by half-past eight. They saw the celebrations as harmless, though they didn't know the full extent of what went on at said celebrations. If they did, they would have surely done more to stop them. 

Veronica spotted her father across the way and her heart stopped. He was dressed as Sherlock Holmes, smiling and greeting the children. Her eyes went wide and she turned so he wouldn't see her face. She knew that her father would not approve of her going to any parties with how poorly she was performing in school. And if he saw what she had on... 

Lavender gave her a confused look, "What?" 

"My dad," Veronica said. 

Professor McGonagall looked at the young girl, quirking her brow at her. She followed her gaze to none other than Professor Vandenberg, who was smiling down at a young boy in a superhero costume. She smiled to herself, knowing that the girl probably was trying to avoid being noticed by her father. Professor McGonagall shook her head and ignored it. She figured it was not her place to bring Vaughn's attention to Veronica. 

Lavender saw him and she nodded, "It's almost over. Hermione and Ivy should be coming to get us in a few minutes." She said. 

"What is he doing here? He never comes to this." Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose. 

"Well, he's head of Ravenclaw now so he has to," Lavender explained. 

Veronica barely moved the rest of the time, fearing that the smallest movement could draw her father's attention to her. She tried to use Lavender to block her from his view, but it was no use since Veronica was about five inches taller than Lavender. When she saw the final child in their line, she let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, Lavender spotted Hermione and Ivy at the end of the corridor. 

"Oh, there they are now." Lavender smiled. 

Veronica looked down the corridor and saw the two girls coming toward them excitedly. She felt relief wash over her. Frantically, she dumped all of the remaining candy she had in the last first year's sack. McGonagall gave her a disapproving look, and Veronica mouthed that she was sorry. McGonagall looked away from the girl, rolling her eyes. 

Lavender and Veronica made their way towards Hermione and Ivy. Ivy was dressed as a witch, wearing a black dress and a feathery witch's hat. Veronica couldn't quite figure out what Hermione was supposed to be, but she had on a white cap sleeve top, shorts, and a multi-colored wig from Lavender's wardrobe. 

Veronica tilted her head at Hermione, who shrugged in response. Lavender snickered, "A witch, Ivy? How original." She said. 

"Yeah, is that technically even a costume?" Veronica asked her. 

"Whatever, I wanted an excuse to wear this dress. Plus, this is what Muggles think witches look like." Ivy shrugged as she took some candy out of one of the first year's buckets. 

The little girl gave her an angry look, "Hey!" She snapped. 

Hermione hit Ivy's arm lightly, appalled by her treatment of the eleven-year-old girl. Ivy looked at her defensively as she chewed on a Liquorice Wand that once belonged to the girl. The little girl, a Slytherin it seemed, stared Ivy down with her arms crossed over her chest. Ivy, annoyed by the girls staring, snatched Lavender's bag of candy out of her hands. 

"Oh my Godric, just take this." Ivy handed it to the girl. 

The girl's eyes lit up at the sight of the candy in the bag. It was surely more than what Ivy had taken out. Ivy rolled her eyes, "Now, shoo." She motioned for her to go away. 

Once the girl left, Hermione chuckled at Ivy. "Oh, Ivy what are we gonna do with you?" She sighed. 

Veronica turned her attention to Hermione, "What are you supposed to be?" She asked. 

Hermione raised her brows in realization, reaching in her back pocket for something. She placed a silver, glittery headband on her head that had two antennas sticking out from the top. "Oh, um, I'm an alien. It's not very good, I know. It was the only thing I could come up with on such short notice." She explained and Veronica nodded. 

Unbeknownst to them, Ivy's altercation with the Slytherin girl drew the attention of Professor Vandenberg. He saw Veronica standing with Ivy and the other three girls. He smiled to himself, happy to see that his daughter was out and having fun. 

He wasn't sure if she was going to a party, but he'd heard the seventh-year students talking about it earlier that day. He assumed that both of his girls would be at the party, and he didn't mind. As long as Vivienne was there to keep track of Veronica, and vice-versa, he didn't oppose them having fun. Though, he did wish that Veronica had chosen a more conspicuous costume. 

"Veronica!" He called, trying to say hello to her. 

Veronica's head whipped around. Her eyes landing on her father. She turned back to the girls so quickly that she didn't even see that he was smiling. 

Vaughn raised his hand to wave, but Veronica was already pushing her friends to leave the corridor. His face contorted in confusion, wondering why his daughter had left so fast and without saying bye. He then shrugged it off, figuring that like every teenage girl, she didn't want to see her father on Halloween.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, admittedly, part two is 100000% more interesting than part two.


	10. 6– Bitchcraft (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione, Ivy, Lavender, and Veronica attend Blaise Zabini’s Halloween Party; Veronica is introduced to a new companion, or two.

WARNING!!!: mature content ahead involving substance abuse.

(Ezra is played by Thelonius Serrell-Freed)

The party started around nine, and the girls got there around a quarter till ten. By the time they got there, the Slytherin common room was packed. Veronica still got jealous of how big their common room was compared to Gryffindor's. 

If we had a common room this size, Fred and George would throw the best parties. 

As his name came into her mind, she felt a chill run down her back. Her throat dried up and she started to get that hollow feeling in her stomach. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd be dressed up as, and if he was dressed up as something with her... Katie. 

Veronica wanted to hate Katie. She wanted to loathe her. She wished that she couldn't stand her. But Katie Bell was one of the sweetest girls that Veronica had ever met. Katie wouldn't hurt a soul, and she was always there for everyone. 

There was this time when Veronica was in her second year, and Katie was in her third. Pansy Parkinson had made a potion erupt in Veronica's face, and Snape refused to discipline her. Veronica's face was green for the rest of the week because of Pansy. One of the days, Katie saw her crying while everyone else was in class. Instead of going up to Veronica, the next day, Katie came to school with her face painted green so that Veronica wasn't alone. 

So you see, Veronica couldn't hate Katie. Katie hadn't done anything wrong. 

"Holy shit," Ivy said as she dreamily looked around the party. 

Veronica had to admit that Blaise did quite a good job. 

Some lights faded into different colors slowly, creating an ambiance in the dark room. People were flying around the high ceilings on their broomsticks, cheering as they zipped by. There were people everywhere, dancing and jumping around. Mostly everyone was already tipsy, with the four girls being late. There were two tables for drinks, one had a punch bowl and the other had shots. 

Veronica noticed how there were cups and glitter from people's costumes on the floor. The air was sticky and hot, the smell of alcohol mixing in with it. Veronica heard the blasting sounds of Blaise's Muggle music through the speakers. The bass thumped with her heart and made her skin tingle. A thin layer of smoke made it almost impossible to make out anyone's face. The only thing you could see were the silhouettes of people's bodies. 

Veronica shook her head, letting out a breath. "Okay, I already need a drink." She said as she squinted her eyes. 

Ivy raised her hand, "Me too." She followed Veronica to the drink table. 

"Lav and I are going to go find Harry and Ron. I'll let you know if I see Dean, Ivy." Hermione said as Ivy and Veronica walked away. 

The two girls walked towards the punch bowl with their arms linked, cackling excitedly. Ivy was happy to see Veronica so happy. It was the first time she'd seen her friend genuinely smile in a while. She knew that the party would get Veronica to come out of her shell again. 

Serving drinks was one Ezra Pucey, of Blaise's quidditch mates and the younger brother of Adrian Pucey. Ezra was easily one of the most handsome young men in their year. Some might have said that he was more handsome than his older brother, but that was up for debate by many. But despite his looks, he was still quite shy and had only ever dated one girl seriously. 

Ezra was dressed as a skeleton, with detailed makeup covering his face and a black suit. His curly hair was parted down the middle, and loose strands hung in front of his face. When he looked up at Veronica, she felt her breath hitch slightly. She felt a tingling feeling like hives breakout around her neck. 

He nervously smiled at Veronica as she and Ivy approached. She looked down with a slight blush, trying not to meet his eyes. Up until then, Veronica had never really paid attention to him. She'd never paid attention to any boy that wasn't Fred. But Veronica noticed him more than anything at that moment. 

Ezra scooped punch into two cups for both of the girls. He kept his eyes on Veronica, amused by the crimson blush in her cheeks. Ivy looked back and forth between the two of them. She watched as Ezra stared at Veronica, and Veronica tried not to stare at him. She smirked, raising her eyebrow. 

"Ezra, I don't think you've gotten to know my good friend here." She motioned to Veronica. 

Veronica stepped on Ivy's foot, warning her to stop. Ivy winced in pain quietly as Ezra chuckled at the two girls. "Um, yeah. I mean- I know you. Well, I don't know know you, I know of you." He rambled. 

Ivy tried not to snicker at the boy's nervous display. Veronica's eyes moved anxiously, as she tried to hold back her own smile. She finally looked at him with a knowing look. "Hi, Ezra. We know each other, we were potions partners in third year." She nodded with a chuckle. 

He looked at her blankly before his eyes lit up in realization, "Oh! Yeah, I just didn't know if you... remembered... that." He trailed off, scrunching his face awkwardly. "Happy birthday, also." 

Veronica blushed slightly, "Oh, um, thanks." 

Ivy lifted her chin at the two of them, a smirk on her face. She could see what was happening between them. In Ezra's expression especially, she could tell that he was interested in her. Veronica was attracted to him too, but Ivy could see that something was holding her back. 

"Um, I'm gonna go find Dean. I'll see you later?" Ivy nodded at Veronica. 

"Yeah!" Veronica smiled. 

Ivy eyed Veronica as she walked backward away from them. She made exaggerated kissing motions, pointing between Ezra and Veronica. Veronica angrily waved her off and mouthed for her to stop. Ivy threw her head back in laughter, ceasing her motions before Ezra saw her. 

As Veronica went to turn back to Ezra, she felt her body go numb. She felt him before she saw him. Him meaning Fred. 

It was like she was in slow motion. As soon as she sensed his presence, the temperature of her body changed entirely. The blood that pumped under her skin was now drained from her body, leaving her cold and empty. Her eyes slowly moved across the room of people. They desperately searched to find him despite her better conscious telling her not to look at him. Her ears rang so loudly that she thought that other people might be able to hear it too. She swallowed harshly as her eyes finally landed on his figure. 

There he stood, or rather walked. He walked in with George and Lee, his arm around Katie. Everyone cheered as they entered because once those three arrived, everyone knew that was when the actual party started. Fred high-fived and chest bumped his mutuals in his usual loud way. They were dressed as the 'Saved by the Bell' crew. Fred was dressed as Zack, George was Screech, Lee was Slater, and Katie was dressed as Kelly Kapowski. 

Veronica winced slightly when Fred leaned down and kissed Katie. It felt like all the wind had been knocked out of her. And what hurt more was that Fred actually looked happy. Veronica was, of course, happy that he was happy. She loved him and she didn't want him to be unhappy. But she couldn't help but wonder if he ever looked that happy with her. And how he could just move on from her that fast. She was just another one of his conquests, a notch on his belt. She really meant nothing to him at all. 

Ezra saw how pale she became. He looked towards the door and saw Fred, George, Katie, and Lee. He saw how Veronica blinked rapidly, looking down as she bit her lip. 

Ezra sighed. He'd always been nervous around the Vandenberg girl. As if he weren't nervous around other girls enough, his timid nature only increased around her. He ran a hand through his hair, "Hey... Do you wanna dance?" He asked her. 

Veronica looked back at him, "Oh... okay!" She smiled with a weak nod. 

Ezra stepped around the table, taking her hand in his gently. The boy smiled a sweet smile at her, and she did the same back. 

Veronica knew that she had to start forgetting about Fred at some point. Staring at him, wishing she was Katie, wasn't going to heal her heart or make him love her. She needed to live her life just like he was living his. Show him that she too hadn't missed a beat. What would dancing with Ezra hurt? 

The two of them got onto the dance floor, finding Dean and Ivy. Dean greeted them gleefully, giving Ezra a G-Lock shake. Ivy raised her eyebrows at Veronica as if to ask, "so?". Veronica shook her head dismissively with a shrug. 

Fred let his eyes fall on Veronica finally. She was the first person he'd noticed when he walked in. But he quickly averted his gaze elsewhere, as to not look suspicious. He tried looking anywhere but at her. At his friends, at Katie, at the ground. But it didn't matter how hard he tried, she pulled his gaze. It was as if his eyes craved the sight of her. 

He thought that she looked beautiful that night, even though she was always beautiful. Her costume suited her perfectly in his eyes. But what he hated was that she wasn't alone. She was with Ezra. 

Fred felt a pang of jealousy run through him at the sight of the two of them dancing together. Her back was pressed against Ezra's front, her head leaned onto his shoulder. Ezra's hands rested on her hips and gripped the flesh that was there. Their bodies swayed to the music together at a dangerously close proximity. Fred saw how now and then, Ezra would lean down and whisper something in her ear, to which she would laugh. When Ezra buried his face in Veronica's neck, Fred's jaw clenched in anger. 

George raised his eyebrow at his brother. He traced Fred's gaze to Ezra and Veronica and then nodded in realization. He placed his hand on Fred's shoulder, "You okay, Freddie?" He asked. 

Fred shrugged away from his brother's hold, drinking the last of what was in his cup. With his eyes still on the pair of them, he dropped his cup on the ground. He didn't want to see Veronica with Ezra at all. The thought of her being with someone else angered him to the highest degree. 

But his anger and jealousy were irrational. He was the one that ruined what they had. Fred couldn't be upset that Veronica was doing the same thing as him. But he couldn't help it. He just had this yearning sense of proprietorship of her. 

Once she was alone and away from Ezra, Fred saw this as his chance to have a moment with her. With Katie preoccupied with Angelina and Alicia, she was completely oblivious to what Fred was doing at the party. 

George tried to catch him before he walked away, but Fred was already gone. He was no idiot, he knew from the way Fred and Veronica had been lately that there had been something going on. It was quite clear that the two had gotten into some sort of disagreement within the past two weeks. 

Fred approached Veronica, rubbing his hand down his face. Veronica saw him coming towards her, and her breath hitched in her throat. Thousands of thoughts swarmed her head at once. Some of them wondered why he was coming towards her, others were memories of their time together. 

"Can I talk to you?" He cleared his throat. 

Veronica's eyes gaped up at him. Feelings of hurt and anger rose within her. He loomed over, unable to look at her directly. Veronica was disgusted at the fact that he couldn't even look her in the eyes. She said nothing in response to him, pretending as if he weren't even there. 

"Vee, come on..." Fred sighed, pinching his temples. "We'll just talk, that's all." He reassured. 

Veronica's tongue poked the inside of her cheek in annoyance. She couldn't believe him. Rolling her eyes, she walked past him. "Sure, Fred! Let's talk." She said in a sarcastic tone. 

Veronica headed towards the steps to the boy's dormitories. She didn't want Hermione, Ivy, or Lavender to see her with Fred and get the wrong idea. She would let Fred say whatever he needed to say, and then she'd be done. 

Fred followed behind her, rubbing his hand on the nape of his neck nervously. He pulled the sunglasses that went with his costume down to hide his eyes. He kept looking behind him to make sure that Katie wasn't paying attention to his whereabouts. Thankfully, she was still preoccupied with her other friends. 

Veronica stomped down the steps until she felt that they were a good enough distance away from the rest of the party. She could still hear the faint sound of music from upstairs. It was dark down the steps, the only light being the green lanterns that hung from the ceiling every few feet. She leaned against the cobblestone walls with her arms folded over her chest. Fred stood across from her, his chest heaving up and down. 

She widened her eyes impatiently, "Well, what is it?" She snapped. 

Fred didn't even know what to say. He questioned if he even had anything to tell her to begin with, or if he just wanted to be alone with her. He examined her in the dark shadows of the steps. He glanced over her face painfully, feeling his heartbeat accelerate. Swallowing harshly, he stepped closer to her. 

Veronica grew annoyed. She let out a breath and rolled her eyes, "Okay, I'm leaving." She shook her head. 

Fred grabbed the back of her head quickly. He pulled her face towards his, attaching her lips to his. Veronica froze for a moment once their lips connected. Fred's fingers tangled in her hair, and his other hand went to her waist. Fred's mind raced with how stupid it was of him to kiss her. But he had nothing to say, and he didn't want her to leave just yet.

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She felt Fred pull her body closer to his. As he hungrily kissed her, a lump grew in Veronica's throat. "Kiss me back, Vee," Fred begged into her mouth in a throaty tone.

In a fit of passion, Veronica let her hands rest on his arms. She gave in and kissed him back. Their breath mixed together as the both of them started to get breathless. Fred's tongue swiped across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth slightly to give him entrance. For a moment, just for a moment, she let her worst nature get the best of her. 

And then, like a switch going off, her morality kicked in. 

Veronica pushed Fred off of her, roughly disconnecting their lips. She backed away from him as she gasped for air. Her back hit the wall hard and her hand covered her mouth. Her big eyes darted around as Fred backed away too. 

Tears stung her eyes. "I'm- I'm sorry... I'm sorry." Fred stuttered. 

Veronica buried her face in her hands and a sob escaped her lips. Every emotion she'd ever felt while with Fred resurfaced right then. The passion, the joy, the pain. It all came back to her, hitting her like a truck. 

Fred swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew that he shouldn't have kissed Veronica. But as he stared at her there, he couldn't help himself. He didn't think of anyone's feelings but his own. Not Katie's or Veronica's, just his own.

He stepped towards her again, reaching out to grab her hands. She snatched them away quickly as the tears continued to stream down her face. Fred nodded slowly as she shied away from his touch. "Vee, please-"

"You don't get to-to do that. You don't get to cut ties with me in the most sudden, heartless way to be with her and then kiss me." She snapped at him. 

"But you kissed back." He said softly. 

Veronica shook her head, "No." She repeated over him. 

He grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. He leaned down so that his face was directly in front of hers. "You did- Vee, you kissed me back." 

As Fred tried to convince her that she had kissed him back, Veronica grew angry and frustrated with him. She could feel her anger boiling low in her stomach like hot water on a stove. She pushed him away again with a vicious groan.

"What does that even matter, Fred? You're with someone!" She yelled at him. 

She was right. Some foolish part of him thought that he'd be able to be with Katie and still have Veronica in some way. But he knew deep down it couldn't be that way. He'd chosen to be with someone else. It didn't matter if he regretted his decision, or if he still desperately wanted Veronica. He was with Katie, and that was the way things were. 

Veronica stared at him blankly as he dropped his head. Fred ran his hand through his hair, searching for the right words to say to her. But everything he came up with wasn't good enough. She shook her head, "Just go... please." She sniffled

"Vee-"

"Leave! Go! Just stay away from me!" She beat her hands against his chest furiously. 

Fred backed away from Veronica. He hated to see her in so much pain, especially when he had caused. Fred never even meant to hurt Veronica. His decisions, his careless mistakes, were what cost her heart. And he just didn't know how to stop making the wrong choices when it came to her. 

He nodded defeatedly, pursing his lips slightly. Without another word, Fred swiftly walked back up the stairs. He left her alone in the dark stairwell. 

As soon as he was gone, she let out a breath she had been holding in since he pulled her away from the party. She held her hand against her heart as if she were trying to heal it. Her mind processed what had happened. The kiss, the exchange, everything. 

She'd pushed him away, told him to leave. But in the depths of her heart, she still wanted him. When he walked away she wanted to call out for him to come back. All because she mindlessly allowed herself to fall in love with him.

~

Veronica spent the rest of the night with Ezra. She wanted nothing more than to be distracted from Fred. But she soon found that she couldn't distract herself from him. He was everywhere. He stood in the corner of the room, he danced in the middle of the crowd, he chanted loudly with his friends. She couldn't escape him. 

She didn't see Hermione, Ivy, and Lavender the rest of the night. Usually, they would be her outlet to keep herself preoccupied. But none of them were anywhere in sight. And though Ezra made good company, she didn't feel right falling into his arms when she was still wrapped up in Fred's. 

So, she got drunk. Then she got more drunk. And then she got even drunker than that. 

She and Ezra took shot after shot that sat readily on the table. They did this until both of them were so intoxicated that they could barely speak or see straight. Veronica didn't care that she didn't have all her faculties about her. It made her oblivious, ignorant, to everything happening around her just as she'd hoped.

The party was still alive when they decided to leave the dance floor. More people had arrived in the later hours. Ezra rested his forehead on hers, "Come on," He sighed, "I've gotta get something from Nott." 

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she took her bottom lip between her teeth. "What is it?" She tilted her head. 

A drunken laugh escaped his lips, "It's a surprise, come on." He beckoned her. 

He waited for her to answer him, a smirk playing on his lips. An energy radiated off of him that intrigued her. She already wasn't thinking properly, having drunk past her threshold. 

Her eyes scanned over his face and her heart skipped a beat. She wondered how his skin was so smooth, how his lips were so pink. She let her hand push his hair out of his face as a light chuckle came from her mouth. Her thumb traced over his thick eyebrows as she hummed softly. Ezra's hand went to her cheek and looked into her eyes deeply. 

Veronica nodded slowly, "Okay, let's go." 

Ezra's eyes widened in excitement, and Veronica snorted. She stamped her feet against the ground excitedly and squealed slightly. Ezra wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her over his shoulder. She giggled and slumped over his back, letting him carry her down the boy's steps and into his shared room with Blaise, Draco, Theodore, and Greg. 

"I see you've brought a guest." Veronica heard Theodore's voice. 

Ezra set her down gently with a light chuckle. Veronica's smile dropped quickly when she looked around and saw the four other boys in the room. She felt her heart drop to her stomach and sling back up into her throat. The idea of being alone in that room of boys made her extremely uncomfortable. Grim possibilities swarmed her thoughts as she saw the smirks and gazes of the boys. The grim possibilities that fill every girl's head when in a room full of boys by herself.

Ezra noticed how quiet she became. He could see that her entire demeanor changed in a matter of seconds. He figured that she probably just didn't like the boys that were in the room with them. Especially Draco Malfoy, as their fathers had been rivals in their youth. 

He brought his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Yeah. Roni's gonna hang with us if that's alright." Ezra said. 

Theodore looked to Blaise, who gave him a nod. He turned back to Ezra, who was starting to feel particularly protective over Veronica. Theodore stood up and slowly walked towards the pair, reaching his hand out to Veronica. Veronica stared at his hand with an unsure look.

"The more the merrier, am I right?" Theodore said lowly. 

Ezra have Theodore a warning look as Veronica curled into his body. She wanted to cling to Ezra as much as she could. He ran his hand up and down her arm in comfort as he guided her towards the couch. 

The two of them sat down and Ezra kept a watchful eye on Theodore. Blaise was a good guy, Ezra knew that. Draco hadn't been himself lately, and Goyle was just a bloke in Ezra's mind. But he never had and never would trust Theodore Nott. Theodore was his friend, of course. But something about him made Ezra feel overly protective of Veronica that night. 

Ezra saw how Theodore stared at Veronica the entire time they were in the room. His eyes narrowed in contemplation, his thumb running across his bottom lip. Ezra was starting to grow irritated by it. 

Veronica was too drunk to notice Theodore's staring. She rested her head back onto the couch with a sigh, closing her eyes. She felt Ezra's fingers brush up against hers and she smiled to herself. 

"Ezra, come on, you know if you bring dessert you have to share," Theodore smirked and Goyle chuckled. 

Ezra's jaw clenched and he gave Theodore a firm look, shifting slightly to sit up. Blaise rolled his eyes, "Mate, shut up." He said. 

Draco, who usually would have been laughing right along with Theodore, sat silently. Veronica noticed how he didn't have on a costume at all. He was still in his school clothes. He sat there with a blank expression, smoking something very slowly as if he were trying to savor it. His eyes stared straight ahead and blinked maybe once every three minutes. But Veronica could tell that past the blankness in his eyes was something else. It was something she couldn't quite place. 

"Look, can we just get this over with?" Ezra asked in an annoyed tone. 

Theodore snickered, "Alright, Mate. No need to get your wand in a knot." He got from his seat and went to his dresser. 

Veronica looked to Ezra, "What's he getting?" She asked. 

Ezra looked at her and his brows raised, "Oh, uh, nothing you need to worry about. We'll leave in just a second." He smiled at her. 

Veronica felt weird that he wouldn't tell her what it was. She just hoped that it wasn't something too severely dangerous. 

Ezra turned his attention to Draco, who hadn't said a word at all yet. "Oi, D." Ezra started. 

Draco looked up at Ezra with an attentive gaze. A cloud of smoke escaped Draco's mouth. He breathed through his nose and his eyes looked tired. 

"You alright?" Ezra tilted his head downwards at him. 

Draco nodded, still not saying a single word to anyone. Veronica furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She had expected some kind of snarky remark from him, or a taunting smirk, or something. But Draco was completely stoic. Not a raise of an eyebrow, or a quirk of his lip. Veronica wondered what had him so quiet. She knew that Hermione had been saying that Harry thought he was up to something. But what was he up to? God knows that Draco was too much of a show-off not to tell someone. 

Theodore came back and started spreading something out on the table. Veronica lifted to see what it was, curious as to what it was. 

On the table were small, plastic bags full of tiny pills and powders and other things Veronica did not know of. They looked similar to the small packets that Fred had once held in front of her a year ago when it all started. She assumed that whatever was on the table must have been some kind of drugs. "Is this PDC?" She asked Theodore. 

He shrugged, "Some of it." He moved three of the packets away from everything else on the table. "But this over here is better." Theodore pointed to the bigger pile.

She leaned forward more, getting a look at four packets of something that looked similar to Powdered Dragon's Claw. She pointed to it, "What's this?" 

Theodore chuckled, "That is a Muggle drug. Got it from a friend at Ilvermorny." He explained. 

Ezra watched as Veronica was seemingly entranced by what was on the table. He felt a sick feeling in his stomach as he saw the glazed and hungry look in her eyes. 

Veronica's heart thumped in her ears. She started to feel shaky and hollow. She didn't know why, but she was growing more intrigued. She wondered what it would feel like to taste it on her tongue. What it would feel like coursing through her blood. What it would feel like as it invaded her brain. 

Theodore noticed what Ezra noticed. But unlike Ezra, Theodore only had the illest intentions. "Do you wanna try some?" He asked her. 

Before Veronica could answer, Ezra interjected. "No, she's not doing that." He shook his head. 

Theodore snickered, "Relax, Pucey. I think Vandy can answer for herself." He said as he playfully hit Goyle on the leg. 

"Look at her," Goyle started, "She's practically drooling." 

Theodore tilted his chin up at Veronica, who was still gazing at what now laid in his hand. "What do you say, Vandy? Wanna give it a go?" He taunted her. 

Veronica felt chills run down her back. The white, powdery substance called her name. It was an attraction like she'd never felt. Its pull to her was too strong to resist. 

Theodore patted the spot next to him on the couch, "Come here and you can have some." He said. 

Veronica felt the urge to get up and sit next to him. She felt her grip on Ezra's hand loosen. Her initial response was to stand up, but she stopped herself. 

Theodore rolled his eyes with a chuckle, seeing that the Vandenberg girl wanted to come to him but Ezra would not let her. He opened one of the packets and dipped his index finger inside of it. All the while he eyes Veronica, who grew more and more intrigued by the second. 

Her eyes were wide as she saw the white powder coat the tip of his finger. She gulped harshly, trying to show no sign of interest. Veronica watched as he slowly walked towards her and then sat down next to her. 

Ezra shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Can't you just bugger off? She doesn't want any." 

Veronica barely heard what either of them said as they bickered. She was too entranced by the substance on Theodore's finger. Her eyes burned with dryness as she held them open. Curiosity raked through her body. 

"Look at her," Theodore pointed at her, "the poor girl's mouth is watering." He taunted and Goyle chuckled. 

As he sat there, Blaise started to feel uneasy with the scene unfolding before him. He felt that Ezra was right in telling Theodore to leave Veronica alone. But he hated to admit that he also saw what Theodore was seeing in Veronica. It did look like she was interested in trying out the drug. 

He stood up, "Sorry, I remembered that I promised Daphne a dance before the night is over. I'll be back soon." He said. 

Theodore scoffed, "Of course you're cutting out early." He teased him. 

Blaise gave him a nervous chuckle. His eyes landed on the very drunk, intrigued Veronica. She looked more gaunt than usual as she sat there. Her cheeks had hollowed, and somehow her eyes had too. Her skin was pale and flushed, and her lips had lost their color. He wanted nothing more than to get as far away from that situation as possible. 

Once Blaise was gone, Theodore zoned in on Veronica even more. His finger hovered in front of her nose. 

And as if she wasn't already curious, the smell of whatever it was pushed her over the edge. 

She closed her eyes as the sweet, flowery scent filled her nose. The chemical-like smell mixed with the perfumey smell triggered something in her nerves. It felt like a fire erupting in her that started at the tip of her nose and enveloped her entire body. 

Theodore pulled Veronica closer to him. Her eyes widened with surprise and he hushed. "It's alright, Darling. I won't bite." He laughed. 

On the other side of the room, Goyle watched attentively as Theodore pressed his body against Veronica's. Meanwhile, Draco wasn't even comprehending any of the things happening around him. He just kept inhaling from his cigarette and blowing out large puffs of smoke with his head leaned back. 

Veronica looked back at Ezra and he looked away from her in shame. Theodore tapped her arm, "Uh uh, Lovely. Look at me, not him." He instructed. 

Ezra had come to the consensus that one way or another, Theodore was going to get Veronica to try that drug. No matter how hard he tried, that powdery substance was going to end up in her body. 

Veronica looked back at Theodore as Ezra rubbed his face with his hand. He grabbed a cigarette and lighter off of the table, turning his body away from Theodore and Veronica completely. 

Theodore brought his finger closer to her face, and Veronica felt that rush again. "Here, try some." He smirked. 

Veronica met his eyes, "Does it burn?" She asked childishly and Theodore chuckled. 

"No," Theodore snickered, "not at all." 

She nodded and glanced at Goyle, who nodded in agreement with Theodore. Her brows pressed together, "How does it feel?" She questioned next. 

"Don't fret, Vandy. It'll make you feel good. Try it." Theodore smirked. 

Veronica didn't know whether she should or not. She had no knowledge of drugs and their use, other than Powdered Dragon's Claw. But as far as Muggle products, she was at a loss. 

Would it hurt her? Would it feel like being drunk? Would her make lose all sense? 

But the question on her mind the most: Would it make her forget?

It was possible that by taking whatever it was, she could forget about it all. Even if it was just for a moment, a second, she'd be free of any thoughts of him. And that was all she'd wanted since it had all gone bad.

As she stared at the crystal-like powder, the urge started to get harder to control. What would be the harm in trying it once? She'd have one go at it and be done, then she'd never have to hear or see of it again. 

Theodore lifted his finger to her lips and tilted his head. "Go on, Lovely, try it." He urged. 

Veronica's heart started to beat rapidly as she felt it on her lips. She closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. His finger parted her lips more, hushing her as he did. She opened her mouth slightly and let him slip his finger inside of her mouth. Theodore tilted his chin up as her lips wrapped around his index finger. 

"That's it. Good girl." He whispered. 

Veronica's face scrunched at the bitter taste of the substance. The taste was a numbing kind of bitterness that was similar to a peppercorn. Not even a second passed before she felt a hot feeling on her lips. Her pores opened up all around her body, causing her to glisten with a light film of sweat over her skin. Her pupils dilated, her hazel eyes seeming to glow. Her already rapidly beating heart was pounding out of her chest now. It seemed as though her muscles had expanded and turned into a soup inside of her. Tingles and shocks sparked in her brain, while her vision became starry. 

Theodore took his finger out of her warm mouth. Veronica lingered behind his finger as he pulled it away, chasing whatever of the powder was left. He laughed at her dazed state before pulling her to rest into his chest. 

"Don't worry, Lovely. I've got you." He gently rubbed her hair. 

Veronica's face was buried into his chest. The bitter taste was now sitting deliciously at the back of her throat. Her face was starting to feel numb and tingly as a pit formed in her stomach. All thoughts of Fred, Katie, her father, and anything else she felt pressure from seemed to fade away. 

A smile formed on her face at the euphoric feeling. She let out an inebriated laugh, "Oh wow." She sighed. 

Theodore but down on his lip and looked to Goyle knowingly. He smiled down at her, "It's good, right?" He asked her. 

She nodded, or at least she tried to. Instead, her head kind of just moved in a circular motion. 

Theodore turned his attention to Ezra, who was desperately trying to get his own high. Ezra already felt regretful of his decision to bring Veronica there. He should have known that Theodore would have tried something whether it be forcing her to do drugs or something grimmer. 

Theodore cleared his throat, causing Ezra to turn. "That'll be five extra galleons." Theodore held his hand out to Ezra with a firm gaze. 

Ezra pressed his lips in a line, reaching into his pocket for five galleons. He knew that Theodore had been playing some angle. He wanted Veronica to take whatever it was so that Ezra would be forced to pay him more. 

Meanwhile, Veronica's body shook lightly in Theodore's arms. Weak smiles made their way to her lips every few moments. She'd never felt anything that good in her life. No drink she'd ever drunk, no orgasm Fred had ever given her, felt anywhere close to it. 

She felt like she was rocking steadily on a boat. So aware yet unaware of everything happening around her. It felt like everything was in her instead of around her. The click of a moving clock hand rang through her. Each tap of Theodore's foot felt like an earthquake.

"More please." She said weakly. 

Theodore gasped in false surprise, "More? What do you say, Pucey? Think she can handle more?" Theodore asked and Goyle chuckled. 

"Fuck off." Ezra rolled his eyes as he stood up. 

Theodore snickered as he rocked Veronica back and forth as if she was a child. Ezra pushed Theodore's hands away from Veronica, holding his hand out to her. "Come on, we're leaving." He said. 

Veronica gave him a look of disapproval. She wasn't ready to leave. She wouldn't be until she had more of that drug. Until she felt that bitter burn in the back of her throat, and those fireworks that went off in her brain. "I want to stay." She sighed. 

Ezra shook his head, "No, we've got what we needed. It's time to get you to bed." He demanded. 

She whined, curling into Theodore more. Ezra's jaw clenched as he saw Theodore's hand move down her back. Theodore gave him a taunting look, gripping Veronica's skin. 

Ezra snapped, pushing Theodore's hand away from Veronica. "Get your fucking hands off of her." He gritted and pulled Veronica up gently. 

"Can't we stay a bit longer? The nights only just begun." Veronica giggled. 

He shook his head, "Well, the night's over for you." Ezra said firmly. 

Theodore and Goyle chuckled as Ezra helped Veronica to stand up straight. Veronica's legs felt like they were made of jelly, making her barely able to stand. Her heart kept speeding up and slowing down in a pattern that made her dizzy. Her stomach flipped as Ezra opened the door for them to leave. 

"Oi, Vandy, you let me know if you need anything else," Theodore smirked. 

"Just leave her alone." Ezra snapped as he let Veronica out first. 

Before Veronica knew it, she was back in the common room, which was still as lively as she left it. Ezra guided her through the crowded room towards Ivy, who he knew would get her back to Gryffindor Tower safely. 

Veronica held her hand up to shield herself from the strobing lights that flashed green and other colors. She whined at the stinging feeling they caused in her head. The wind from the people zooming past on their broomsticks caused her skin to chill and ache. "Ezra," She whined. 

Ezra saw Ivy standing with Dean against the wall. A sudden rush of relief came over him. "Ivy!" He called, grabbing her attention immediately. 

Ivy's attentive look quickly turned into one of concern as she noticed Veronica. It was evident that she wasn't in her right mind at all, as she looked around manically as if everything around her threatened her. 

Ivy rushed towards them, Dean following closely behind her. "My goodness, what's happened?" She asked Ezra. 

Veronica snickered at Ivy's concern, "I feel like I could leap off of the astronomy tower." She said. 

Ivy cupped Veronica's face in her hands, flashing Dean a look. "Roni, what did you take? What did you take?" She asked firmly. 

Veronica shook her head feverishly, "I-I don't... d-don't-" The drugs made her unable to speak. 

Ivy looked at Ezra angrily, "What did she take, Ezra?" She questioned. 

Ezra saw how Ivy's eyes seemed to turn black as she looked at him. Her already intimidating face became more menacing. Ezra shivered in fear and looked away, "Cocaine, Nott gave her cocaine." He said shamefully. 

Ivy's jaw clenched in anger. She saw red as she looked at Ezra's guilty face. Her hands released Veronica's face and gripped his shirt. Ezra yelped in fear. "You let her take drugs from Nott!" She gritted angrily. 

Dean intervened finally, pulling her hands off of Ezra's chest. "Ivy, come on." He warned and Ivy let go of Ezra. 

Veronica nestled her face in Ezra's neck to quiet some of the noise in her head. Ezra wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I- Can you take her to your room? I think he may have laced it. I don't know, but she shouldn't be like this. He only gave her a small bit, and she shouldn't be drowsy." Ezra sighed. 

Dean nodded and patted Ezra on the shoulder as Ivy pulled Veronica away from him. "Will do, Mate." Dean nodded reassuringly. 

Ivy kept Veronica up straight, telling Dean to put her other arm around his shoulders. Veronica looked back at Ezra, "What's happening?" She asked. 

He bent down slightly, brushing her hair out of her face, "Dean and Ivy are just gonna make sure you get back safely, okay?" He asked and she nodded sleepily. He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead, feeling incredibly guilty for letting her take such a drug from Theodore. 

Ivy and Dean guided her towards the entrance. Veronica's head hung low as they practically dragged her. The halo on her head hung from the back of her neck as she spoke incoherently. Her mind was unable to comprehend what was happening. All she could see were flashes, all she could hear was the low base of the loud music. Even though she felt like she was dying, she'd never felt more alive. The feeling was one that she never wanted to stop feeling. 

"Oh my God," Ivy heard Fred's voice as he came towards them. "What happened to her?" 

Ivy had no patience for him at that moment. She couldn't believe that he wanted to pretend that he actually cared about Veronica. As if he wasn't the one who constantly hurt her. 

Fred felt himself grow sick at the state that Veronica was in. She looked so frail and sickly as she hung from Dean and Ivy. His heart beat rapidly as he lifted her chin to look at him. "Vee?" He asked. 

Veronica couldn't even tell that it was Fred in front of her. She couldn't even discern that it was his voice. But somehow her body knew it was him, as her skin warmed at his touch. 

Fred looked into her dazed eyes, which were staring through him instead of at him. He felt himself grow angry as he remembered that she was with Ezra the whole night. He had to be the one that did it. Who else could it have been? 

He soon came to the resolution that the next time he saw Ezra he was going to hurt him in ways that he'd never dreamed of. 

"What can I do? I can carry her for you guys-" Fred started. 

Ivy let out an annoyed sigh, rolling her eyes at his false concern. "I've got her," Ivy snapped. 

Fred recoiled in shock, surprised by her harsh tone. He looked down at his hands nervously. He knew that Ivy, Hermione, and Lavender weren't his biggest fans, but he didn't expect her to be so cold. All he wanted to do was help Vee. 

Ivy shook her head as she hoisted Veronica up slightly, "You've done enough already."


End file.
